Kameido Tenmangu Shrine Plum Blossom Festival 亀戸天満宮 梅まつり
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine is a short walk from JR Kameido Station. Small banners reading "Kameido Plum Blossom Festival" show the way to the shrine.
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Made famous by woodblock prints from the Edo Period, Kameido Tenmangu Shrine (also called Kameido Tenjin Shrine) in Kameido, Koto Ward, Tokyo is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar of the Heian Period (794-1185), a god of learning.
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Many students hoping to pass school entrance exams come to pray here. In Feb. and March, numerous plum blossoms bloom in white, red, and pink.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine and Tokyo Sky Tree.
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Wisteria bed is bare.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine's ume plum blossoms made famous by Hiroshige's woodblock print from his series called "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo."
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Numerous plum trees on the way to Kameido Tenjin Shrine worship hall.
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Plum blossoms and Tokyo Sky Tree.
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Plum blossoms and Tokyo Sky Tree.
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The shrine's background is changed forever with Tokyo Sky Tree.
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Turtles
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Taiko bridge
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These plum trees also bear fruit. The shrine staff harvest the plums (ume) in May.
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White and red plum blossoms and the torii gate at Kameido Tenjn Shrine.
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Plum trees grew since the last time I took this shot.
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Benten Shrine
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Kameido Tenjin is one of the thousands of Tenmangu/Tenjin shrines in Japan that worship the famous Japanese scholar Sugawara Michizane (845–903) deified as Tenjin, the god of learning and scholarship.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine main worship hall. Notice the red and white plum blossoms on both sides.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine main worship hall in Feb. 2019.
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Many students pray here during January to February to pass school entrance exams or to do well in school.
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Votive tablets, made of wood and hung near the worship hall. People who buy it write their wish on it.
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Ema tablets with wisteria design for Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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2019 was the Year of the Boar.
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Sugawara Michizane is closely associated with plum blossoms because he once wrote a poem for his beloved plum blossoms that "flew through the air" (飛梅) to follow him when he was exiled to Dazaifu in Fukuoka.
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That's why most Tenmangu/Tenjin shrines have plum blossoms. Kameido Tenjin Shrine flanked with red and white plum blossoms in March.
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These plum blossoms are from Dazaifu Shrine in Fukuoka. Feb. 2019.
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Offertory box
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Inside the main worship hall.
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Sacred cow statue.
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Sacred cow statue. Rub the nose for good luck.
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Monument for the man who first manufactured matches in Japan.
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Statue of Sugawara Michizane as a child.
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Memorial for writing brushes and any writing instruments including pens. You can put used pens in the box for disposal.
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Plum blossoms on the left side of the shrine.
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Weeping plum tree.
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Weeping plum tree.
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Plum blossoms at Kameido Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo
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Tokyo Sky Tree and plum blossoms at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Photogenic shot of plum blossoms and a taiko bridge at Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo.
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Photogenic shot of plum blossoms and a taiko bridge at Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo.
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Photogenic shot of plum blossoms and a taiko bridge at Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo.
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Photogenic shot of plum blossoms and a taiko bridge at Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo.
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Photogenic shot of plum blossoms and a taiko bridge at Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo.
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Heron stalking fish in the pond at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Heron stalking fish in the pond at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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The right side of the worship hall is also lined with plum blossoms at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine and Tokyo Sky Tree.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine and Tokyo Sky Tree.
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Performers on the Kaguraden stage.
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More plum blossoms on the right side of the shrine.
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Tokyo Sky Tree and plum blossoms at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Weeping plum blossoms.
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Mitake Shrine
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Torii and plum blossoms.
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Tokyo Sky Tree and plum blossoms at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Tokyo Sky Tree and plum blossoms at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Tokyo Sky Tree and plum blossoms at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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Tokyo Sky Tree and plum blossoms at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
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The Usokae Festival is held every January at the Kameido Tenmangu (Tenjin) Shrine. "Uso" means bullfinch, and "kae" means to change. The bullfinch is a symbol of good luck, and uso can also mean "lie." People replace their wooden uso dolls believing that the previous year's bad luck was a lie, to be exchanged for good luck in the new year with the new uso doll.
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Bullfinch exchange. The person puts her old bullfinch on the rack and prays.
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People then go to the bullfinch stall on the left of the main worship hall.
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Usokae stall
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Usokae stall. The uosokae dolls come in various sizes, look pretty much the same.
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Usokae stall
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A pair of giant usokae dolls flank the entrance to the main worship hall.
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Monument for usokae.
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During the festival, stage performances are held.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine also holds setsubun ceremony on Feb. 3, but at night. First the ogre appeared as they growled toward the shrine.
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Bean throwing didn't last long.
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Quite difficult to catch beans.
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Bagged this bag of beans.
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Kameido Tenjin Shrine and Tokyo Skytree at night.
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