Tokyo has many Cherry blossom spots across the city with Chidorigafuchi and Asakusa being some major attractions. Tokyo Tower is also one of our personal favourite with the Zojoji Shrine, a buddhist shrine providing a beautiful contrast in the cherry blossom season.

The beauty of sakura (cherry blossoms) on the Zojoji grounds is enhanced due to an interesting contrast of culture, architecture, and history of the temple, in addition to the modern signature of the Tokyo Tower in the backdrop. The blossoms are usually out on at end of the March and last until the first week of April. Go on a particularly clear day for best experience. Somehow the red tower contrasts awesomely with a blue sky.

During the Edo period Zōjō-ji was the Tokugawa’s family temple. Tokugawa Ieyasu had the temple moved, first to Hibiya, then in 1590, at the time of expansion of Edo Castle, to its present location.With the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the samurais in 1868, the grounds took on the character of a public park. The temple was badly damaged in World War II, but still retains the air of a major temple. The Hall which is just below the Tokyo Tower too has been reconstructed and around 30 cherry trees are planted in front of it.

There are the dark pink variety which start blooming from mid March itself while the light pink or white Sakura coming in late by March. The area is crowded on weekends when many people walking from Hamamatsucho Station to reach Tokyo Tower, cross the Zojoji Temple in between. We believe visiting on a weekday morning is the best.

This is also the location where the famous Bollywood movie Love in Tokyo (way back in 1966) was shot at. Here is a photo from that. The original article for Love in Tokyo Filming locations is here

Most people miss the left side of the Zojoji Shrine and directly move on to the Tokyo Tower. We suggest you explore the left side of the Zojoji Shrine you will come to a big open space from where you can take the best panoramic view of the Tokyo Tower and in addition you can also visit the Shiba Koen Gardens just next to it which has a variety of plum trees which bloom late February.

A center shot on a weekday with no crowds of the Zojoji Temple and the Tokyo Tower in the background. Do pass through the red gate of the shrine, its supposed to be lucky. The temple’s only original structure to survive the Second World War was this red gate called Sangedatsumon. “San” means “three”, and “Gedatsu” means “Moksha or liberation”. If someone passes through the gate, he can free himself from three passions ( “greed”,  “hatred”,  “foolishness”).

There is a Family Mart convenience store in front of the red gate which has a glass outdoor. This is my favorite spot to stand and watch the Tokyo Tower reflection in the glass. On a clear day it is as beautiful as in the below snap a perfect reflection…

A last snap with the Japanese garden lamp, the shrine and the Tokyo Tower with the Cherry blossoms. The experience cannot get any more “Japanese” than this, yeah? 

Also do not forget the back side of the temple, which has graves located in the cemetery behind the Great Hall, many of them national treasures of prominent figures mainly six of the fifteen Tokugawa Shoguns.