Spring in Japan

It’s cherry blossom season

Published in

My Travels Blog

19 min readApr 18, 2023

I had visited Japan either in the summer or autumn, but this time I like to see Japan in the spring atmosphere before the end of the cherry blossom season.

The blooming cherry flowers are the best representative of spring, spreading its essence and creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Ueno Toshogu Shrine (上野東照宮) — Many tourists or local people come to this place to pray for good luck, such as passing an exam, success, longevity, recovery from illness, etc.

Meiji Jingu Shrine (明治神宮) enshrines the spirits of Emperor Meiji, the 122nd emperor of Japan and the first emperor of the modern era, and his consort, Empress Shoken. After the Meiji Restoration, the emperor regained authority and took the reins of government once again. During the Meiji period, Japan underwent reforms and transformed from a backward feudal country into one of the major world powers.

Senso-Ji of Asakusa Temple in Tokyo (東京淺草寺) — According to legend, in 628 AD, fishermen discovered a statue of Kannon Bodhisattva in the Sumida River, and Asakusa Temple was built to enshrine this statue. Throughout its long history, the main hall of Asakusa Temple has been destroyed many times, but it has been rebuilt thanks to donations from people all over Japan.

The gigantic red lantern of Kaminarimon Gate 雷門燈籠 is a famous landmark of Asakusa, weighing approximately 700 kilograms.

Five-story Pagoda is typical Japanese style

Nakamise Shopping Street (仲見世通商店街) is Japan’s oldest shopping street, stretching 250 meters long and weaving between various shops, giving visitors the feeling of being transported back in time to the Edo period (江戶時代)

Kannon Bodhisattva of Compassion (慈悲觀音)

The majestic Mount Fuji has always been a source of fascination, and this time I made a special trip to see it.

Joined an one-day tour from Tokyo to Hakone (箱根), which is located near Mount Fuji.

It was reminiscent of the imagery depicted in the works of Tao Yuanming (陶淵明), a famous Chinese poet and recluse

觀櫻東籬下，悠然見富士

“Leisurely viewing Mount Fuji from under the cherry blossom trees, it was a serene and picturesque scene.”

The lake formed by volcanic eruption was clear and tranquil.

In the afternoon, the clouds and mist began to swirl around Mount Fuji, soon it will become a hermit, and it will be difficult to see its true appearance.

Osaka Castle (大阪城) — During the Azuchi-Momoyama period (桃山時代) when Japan was unified, Osaka Castle was the residence and political center of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s ( 豐臣秀吉)regime. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu (德川家康) defeated the Toyotomi family in two battles, the Winter and Summer Sieges of Osaka, and Osaka Castle became an important stronghold for the Tokugawa shogunate to control the daimyos of western Japan.

Before the Meiji Restoration, Osaka was written as “大坂” (Ōsaka), but after the restoration, the character “坂” was avoided because it could be divided into “士反” (samurai rebellion), so the name was changed to “大阪” (Ōsaka) in 1870 (Meiji 3). The castle was also renamed to “Osaka Castle” accordingly. When discussing its history before the name change, it is still commonly referred to as “大坂城” (Ōsaka-jō) to indicate the difference in time periods.

Nara’s Todai-ji Temple (奈良東大寺) in Nara, Japan is a Buddhist temple and one of the largest wooden structures in the world. Todai-ji Temple is also one of Japan’s national treasures and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Todai-ji Temple, also known as the “Temple for the Defense of the Nation by Means of the Four Heavenly Kings of Golden Light 「金光明四天王護國之寺」,” is the head temple of the Kegon school of Buddhism (華嚴宗大本山). It was founded by Emperor Shomu 聖武天皇 of Japan, a devout Buddhist, in 728 AD, and has a history of over 1,200 years. At that time, Emperor Shomu constructed over 68 provincial temples throughout Japan, and Todai-ji Temple was the highest-ranking central temple among them.

Only Tōdai-ji has preserved the unique style of Tang dynasty temples.

Its main building is the Daibutsu-den (大佛殿), which houses the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha, known as the “Great Buddha of Nara (盧舍那佛),” measuring approximately 15 meters in height and weighing about 380 tons. The statue was cast in 752 AD and took nearly 10 years to complete. It is the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue.

Another characteristic of Todaiji Temple is the herds of Sika deer. Legend has it that the deity of Takemikazuchi 春日大社竹神祇 arrived at this place riding on a deer. These deer are free to roam, be fed, and interact with visitors inside the temple grounds.

Tōshōdai-ji 唐招提寺 is a Buddhist temple located in Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 8th century and was one of the largest temples during the Nara period in Japan. Originally, the temple was established to pray for peace and the eradication of disasters, but it suffered from several fires and damage caused by wars.

Toshodai-ji is renowned for its magnificent architecture and precious cultural heritage. Its most famous building is the Central Great Hall, a five-story tower-like structure that is 21 meters wide and 48 meters tall. It is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. Inside the hall, there is a statue of the eleven-faced Kannon Bodhisattva, which is one of the most important treasures of the temple.

In addition to the Central Great Hall, Toshodai-ji has numerous other buildings, such as monk’s quarters, shrines, and stone pagodas. The temple is also one of the repositories of Japan’s National Treasures, and it has a vast collection of precious Buddhist statues, books, and other cultural artifacts.

To promote Buddhism widely in Japan, Emperor Shomu invited the Chinese monk Jianzhen 鑑真和上 to come to Japan. After six failed attempts, Jianzhen finally succeeded in landing in Japan in 754, but unfortunately he lost his sight. In 759, he oversaw the construction of Toshodai-ji Temple. Japanese people regard Jianzhen as a national treasure and address him as “Kanzeon Bosatsu” instead of a typical monk, as his introduction of Buddhism had a great impact on Japan and brought in much Chinese culture, which had a profound influence on Japan.

The Kondo (金堂 Golden Hall) was built during the Nara period (around 780 AD) and is the only surviving orthodox Golden Hall remains. It is a highly valuable existence in the study of temple architecture.

Similarly, the lecture hall, which was moved from the imperial court to the Chojyuden Hall, is the only existing example of architecture from the Heijo Palace (平城宮建築).

I had always wanted to visit Toshodai-ji on my previous visits to Kyoto, but due to its remote location and inconvenient transportation, I was unable to go. Finally, on this trip, I was able to pay my sincere respects to Jianzhen and fulfill my wish.

The whole temple complex is very large and due to its remote location, there are very few visitors, which makes it very peaceful and exactly what I wanted. Wandering around the area, there are constantly beautiful views that bring joy to the heart.

Moss can cover a forest or climb over stones, creating a unique and elegant beauty.

The stone-carved water basin is engraved with words, and several sections of bamboo flow with spring water. The sound of water dripping into the basin is a beautiful melody, and you will quietly appreciate and feel the beautiful artistic conception.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LBk1rz1cWEnhadUY6

Outside the temple is a moat, silently guarding Jianzhen and Toshodai-ji.

Kyoto Gion (祗園)is the representative area of Kyoto’s bustling district, famous for its “flower streets” where geisha 藝妓 or maiko 舞妓 perform their traditional dances. Gion is located in front of Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社, with Shijo-dori as its main street, starting from the Kamo River 鴨川 and extending to Higashioji-dori and Yasaka Shrine. Along the way, you can see tea houses, Japanese restaurants, bars, and the famous Kabuki theater “Minamiza 南座”. Walking through the old wooden buildings with lattice doors on both sides of the alleyways, you can experience the elegant and refined atmosphere of the ancient capital. The area from Shimbashi-dori in the north to Shirakawa along the river is designated as an “Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings,” while the southern area, including Hanamikoji-dori 花見小路, is designated by the Kyoto City government as a “Historic Landscape Preservation and Scenic Area.” Both areas are protected by the government and have become famous cultural and tourist attractions in Kyoto.

The many small restaurants and tea houses here are decorated in a unique style.

Strolling through the narrow alleys and admiring the decorations of each shop is an absolute pleasure.

No wonder Apple’s Steve Jobs was a great admirer of Kyoto. The essence of Kyoto culture deeply influenced his aesthetics and his taste for product design. You can feel it a little bit from Apple products.

Yasaka Shrine 八坂神社 is a shrine located in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan, and is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto. It was first built in 656 AD to commemorate the deities worshiped at that time. The current architecture was rebuilt in 1499. The shrine was established to pray for the safety, health, and prosperity of people and is an important cultural asset in the area. Every summer, Yasaka Shrine holds the famous Gion Festival, which is one of the three major festivals in Japan and an important festival in Kyoto.

Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera Temple 京都清水寺 was under major renovation during my last two visits to Kyoto, and the entire temple was obscured and unable to be viewed.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple is a Buddhist temple located in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan. It was founded in 778 and has been rebuilt multiple times throughout its history, most recently in 1633. The temple is famous for its wooden stage that juts out from the main hall, offering stunning views of the surrounding area. Kiyomizu-dera is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Kyoto.

Today I finally saw it in its entirety, surrounded by lush green forests, standing tall against the mountains, quite imposing.

Amidst the continuous spring rain, the ancient temple and its green forests are imbued with a picturesque ink painting.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YA7Tv2NNERUvPBB68

Various unique Otowa-no-taki (Waterfall of Sound) can be found in the temple.

Maple leaves, graceful and unrestrained, pleasing to the eye in their fresh green, like a floating cloud. After the frost, they turn fiery red, creating a second beauty.

It’s a rare and fortunate experience to witness such a scene from 30000 feet above ground. I was on the flight back home, when 5 minutes into the flight, the pilot announced that we will be seeing Mt. Fuji on right side windows. I was sitting on the left side, however the whole plane was empty, so I was able to move quickly across the plane to sit on the right side to witness this fascinating scene.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8SumWutYNdMsjjDt6

Japan Railway provides oversea visitors a generous JR Pass that you can use to travel on its bullet trains across Japan, including local lines as long as they are operated by JR (such as the Yamanote JY line we used to go around the Tokyo places).

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PaweUoV74Tjb4aNN9

Japan’s transportation system is the top in the world, it is clean and hardly not on time and sometimes it gets crowded but the order is always maintained and the riders are polite and quiet, they are dressing in very proper way I never seen in other places in the world, not in the US or Europe. Everyone dress in a pleasant and decent way.

After the check-in to the hotel in Tokyo, I began to look for restaurants and first searched for omakase. I discovered that there was a good one located near the hotel, so I asked the hotel staff to help make a reservation over the phone.

This is the address: 2–63–6 Palace Garden Milano 2F, Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo. You can make a reservation through their Instagram (@sushi.tetsuya) or LINE app account.

The name of the restaurant is Sushi Tetsuya (鮨てつ也). “Sushi” means 寿司 (sushi) in Japanese, while “Tetsuya” can be translated to “哲也” (Zhé yě) in Chinese, which seems to suggest that sushi is a type of philosophy.

Sushi (寿司 or 鮨 in Japanese) is a traditional Japanese cuisine. In ancient Japan, sushi was made of salted fish and rice, and it evolved into what we know today. The original written form of “寿司” in ancient Japan was “鮨” (sushi,すし), which meant “salted fish”. The name “寿司” was later written using the Manyōgana writing system 万叶假名写法, which is an ancient Japanese phonetic system that used Chinese characters to represent Japanese sounds.

Japanese restaurants are usually small, but their storefront decorations are simple yet elegant.

The chef is already preparing. It looks like the ingredients are all very fresh, mostly sourced from the local area.

The first dish is presented in a unique and creative arrangement.

An assortment of sashimi is very delicious and tasty.

The chef is showing off his collection of fine sake.

This rare and precious sake cannot be bought outside, and the chef has no intention of drinking it.

The price of this meal is half that of an equivalent restaurant in the United States.

The motto of this restaurant is to be devoted and focused on the food.

After an almost two-hour dining experience, as I left the restaurant, the lights outside were turned on.

As I was leaving the Senso-ji Temple, I happened to pass by this fast noodle restaurant. The restaurant had only one staff member who operated the place, and orders were placed and paid for through a machine located at the front entrance. Despite this, the restaurant was doing very well in terms of business.