Video and photos by Miyuki Takiguchi ()
Though the month of February is a cold one in Japan, the early blooms of spring are already starting to appear. Today, a variety of Sakura cherry blossoms like kanhisakura and kawazusakura are rearing their blush blooms in the Kanto.
Both of these varieties have larger more reddish blooms than the someiyoshino, which is the most popular bloom that appears between late March and early April. Kanhisakura and kawazusakura are also very much like plum blossoms as they can outlast the delicate, late-blooming someiyoshino.
At Ebara Jinja, a 1213-year-old Shinto shrine along the Meguro River, the kanhisakura trees on the grounds are currently in full bloom.
The cherry trees always start blooming earlier than any other others in Tokyo, and are considered as “Trees of God,” according to shrine officials.
Visitors to the shrine can enjoy the shrine as well as these early signs of spring. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a couple of the yellow-green Mejiro birds feeding from the blossoms.
With spring right around the corner, don’t sleep on kanhisakura blossoms. These beautiful blooms will help warm your winter blues and get you ready for the season!
Ebara Jinja (Shrine)
Location: 2-30-28 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
(a 5-minute walk from Keikyu Shinbanba Station)
Tel: 03-3471-3457
