#Yasukuni-dori Avenue

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Sakura viewing at Aoyama Cemetery

It’s not your typical hanami venue, since it would be disrespectful to have hanami parties here, but Aoyama Cemetery, Tokyo’s first public cemetery (from 1872), is a good place for a meditative walk through the 500 sakura trees - yes, among the dead. This is expansive sacred space that we who visit must honor.

The wide boulevard in the middle of the cemetery is called Sakura Avenue and you can take a walk along the stone path, being mindful of vehicles - especially taxis and bikes - taking a shortcut from Roppongi Dori to Aoyama. 

Even the side paths offer pleasant views, as if you’re in a park and not a graveyard.

This variety of sakura trees is the most common in Japan with the small, light pink flowers. This variety has no leaves, did you notice? They are sumei yoshino.

The cremated remains of many famous Japanese are buried here at Aoyama Cemetery and there are shrines, images, and flowers offered at the graveyard. I couldn’t find the grave of Hachiko, but this akita famous for his loyalty is buried here.

You can sit and read, surrounded only by the sound of birds, and you won’t be disturbed. It’s as if you’re not in a city of 20 million people. 

Because of the rains, the sakura petals have begun to fall, making for picturesque, though somewhat saddening, scenes. The fallen petals remind us of the ephemeral beauty of sakura, and indeed life itself.

And soon it is back to the reality of this hip city, as the young woman graciously poses for me amidst the sakura. Thank you, Sakura Season 2017! Thank you to all the gardeners of my hanami this year at Naka-meguro, Tokyo Midtown, Izumi Garden, Ark Hills and Blossom Terrace (thank you so much, Angela!), Chidorigafuchi, Kitanomarukoen, Yasukuni, and Shinjuku Gyoen.

Previous posts on sakura:

Falling in Love is Almost Like Sakura - March 30, 2016

Sweet Sakura Brought Me to Easter - April 10, 2015