Azalea Festival 2014 at Nezu Shrine

  Lee has already become 12 years old, as in human age he is in his 60's. Actually, he has some physical trouble related to aging, but fortunately, his legs back and bones are still perfect. Thanks Lee's father, Levin and mother, Noa, they had a strong bone structure. Thanks to you we can enjoy walking even now.

  Last Sunday, Lee and I took a long distance walking to Nezu Shrine, where the Azalea Festival has been held.

  So many people came to see Azalea from all around Tokyo. The old couple who asked me how to get to here was from Saitama prefecture.

  It was a warm and sunny day, the best day for walking.

... but Lee seemed to get tired a bit.

  Several years ago, it had taken about 45 min to get here, but this time it took over 1 hour with putting some short breaks.

  There's no hurry. You can walk at your pace. I love walking with you.

  The Azalea Festival will be held until 6th May, the last day of the "Golden week", Japanese holiday season.

  The other posting of Nezu Shrine's Azalea festival are here (2007, 2011).
  The other season's scenery of Nezu Shrine are here. (February, December, 300 anniversary )

  Please click to see the map of Nezu Shrine (Google Map)

Azalea / Nezu shrine

Azalea festival is held at Nezu shrine.

These photos were taken on 24th April. I guess they are full bloomed now.

This shrine has 3000 trees of Azelea. So gorgeous! Don't miss them.


The azalea festival will be held until the last day of the Golden week.

Regading the history of this shrine, please refer to the previous posting (click!).

For a long while, we hadn't walk such a long distanse. It became two and a half hours walking. Lee looked tired a bit... Me, too.

The closest station of this shrine is Nezu or Sendagi of Tokyo Metro Chiyoda-line. It takes about 5 minutes from these Metro stations on foot.

The other Nezu shrine postings:
The celebration of 300 aniversary (Sep. 2006)
Fallen leaves (Dec. 2006)
Azalea (May. 2007)
Ume (Feb. 2009)

Ume and Komagome Ogannon / Kogenji-temple, Bunkyo-ward

Let me introduce some last month’s photos.

There are a lot of old temples around Yanaka-Sendagi-Nezu area (YANESEN area). I found Ume flowers were blooming in the yard of Kogenji-temple in mid-Feburuary.

Kougenji-temple was opened in Kanda area in the end of 16 centuries, then moved to YANESEN area in 1648. This temple has been famous for the big statue of “Ju-ichi men Kan-non (goddess of Kan-non with 11 faces)”, which was made in 1697. This Kan-non statue was called “Komagome Ogannon”, and became one of the sightseeing spot of Tokyo. Below is the picture of the statue appeared in the guidebook “Edo meisho zue” published in Edo-era.

Unfortunately, that statue was burned out in the fire of the Tokyo Air Raids 1945. In 1993, they rebuild the statue.

I heard that the Hozuki festival would be held at the yard in July. I’d like to visit there at that festival and post the photos on this blog.

The closest station is Hon-Komagome of the Nanboku-line (Tokyo Metro). It takes about 5min on foot.

--revised on March 9th.--
Speaking of the Tokyo Air Raids, tomorrow, March 10th is the 64th anniversary of the Great Tokyo Air Raids. The serial bombing burned out not only the historical things like Komagome Ogannon, but also tremendous numbers of Tokyo citizens. Tonight, I would like to pray for the victims of the raids and for all victims of all of the war and the terrorism which occurred /have been occurring all over the world.
Peace for all of the people who live in the earth.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Ume (P.mume) in Nezu shrine

Please forgive my long absence. Zee, I can't believe that we are already in the month of March!
It has been getting warm here in Tokyo, and Ume flowers are in full bloom now.
Two weeks ago, Lee and I went to the Nezu shrine. The main building (Haiden) and the big gate (Roumon) have been under the restoration, so most of the architectures are covered with white vinyl sheet, but the Ume flowers are welcoming the visitors with sweet smell.


Turtles did sunbathing.


According to the official site of the Nezu shrine, the restoration will be finished this September.



Please visit the previouse post of the Nezu shrine:
Mar. 2007 (Azalea)
Dec. 2006 (Fallen leaves)
Sep. 2006 (Maturi) ...you can find a Shige's photo here

Azalea festival @ Nezu shrine

Lee and I went to the Nezu shrine a week before last Sunday.

From early April to the last day of the golden week, the azalea festival has been held there.

There are 50 species & 3000 pieces of azaleas. How beautiful!

Hi! It's Lee! I haven't been this blog a while. How you been?

There are many species of azaleas and the timings of full bloom are depends on the species. So you can enjoy various kind of azaleas during the festival. It was around 8:00 AM, but many visiters were enjoying the flowers.

I love this shrine. It show me various scenes at each season.

Please have a look the scene of another season, too.

Fallen leaves / Nezu shrine

The season of the ginkgo leaves has almost finished. The leaves that entertained us have started to fallen. Last Sunday morning, Lee and Shige visited the Nezu shrine to enjoy the last yellowed ginkgos.

Last time we visit there, we came into the big festival of 300 anniversary (the festival's report is here), so the shrine yard was filled with so many people. Last Sunday, there was filled with calm and peaseful atomosphere.

Sniff shiff. Lee was cheking th sweeped and collected "momiji (maple)" leaves. Right after Shige shot this photo, Lee jumped into this "bed".

The history of this shrine had started around 1900 years ago (really?!). The original shrine had been established at Sendagi. In the reign of Tokugawa, the shrine had become bigger and bigger under the aegis of the Shogun family. Then, 300 years ago, the 5th Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi had removed and rebuilt in the present place. The 6th Shogun Tokugawa Ienobu held the gorgeous festival in 1706. You can check the sketch of the 1706 parade in previous post. The festival we saw last Sepetemver was the 300 aniversary of it.

In the shrine yard there are many beautiful national important cultural assets, including the main building and the gates.

The Nezu shrine, the 300 anniversary / Sendagi Bunkyo-ward

Shige & Lee went to Nezu on last weekend. The night before the day, Shige had found a web article which said the Nezu shrine was very quiet and peaceful place with full of green.

It was not so long walking. Around 30 min or so. When they reached to the shrine, around 8:40 AM, there was a lot of people...a lot of people? Although it was early morning, the shrine yard was packed with the people who wore the ancient costume, professional cameramen who armed with 2cameras+big camera bag+folding stepladder, and a bunch of spectators.
(please click to enlarge photos)

That was the celebration day of the 300 anniversary of the Nezu shrine.

They are preparing the parade. Can you see the beautiful Mikoshi, the gestatorial chair of god, behind the people?

They said these gorgeous gigantic Mikoshis were given to the shrine by Shogun in Edo-era.

A gentleman kindly took a photo of Shige and Lee. Thank you, daddy-o!

Chief priest perform a brief ceremony for starting the parade.

The parade is starting!

The Mikoshis are about to depart.

The float of Sarutahiko, powerful guardian deity, get out the shrine gate.

The Mikoshis are following the Sarutahiko float. Wow, there was extremely crowded!

Run! Let's go the quick route to catch a head of the parade!


Marching in the street.
Can you see the figure of Sarutahiko was moving ?
He was turning his body and waving his arm automatically. They call it "Karakuri-ningyou", Japanese old-time robot.

Shige found the drawing of the parade that held in Edo-era.

Shige visited the shrine again with Sis. Unfortunately, the weather was getting worse in the evening, but Sis seemed to enjoy the Omatsuri very much.

The dance performance was dedicated to god of the shrine. Have you seen these girls in anywhere? Yep, they were riding in the rikisha in the 11th photo which taken in the morning.

It was dark and raining, so I had to stay home again. Humph! (Lee)


Nezu Shrine: Closest station is Nezu of the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda-line.