Enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms and mimosa at Kuramae Shrine, Tokyo

When it comes to spring in Japan, all everyone talks about is sakura. Wherever you go, you are bound to see dainty pink cherry blossoms. Most travelers come specially to see this spectacular natural sight. But did you know there are also many other flowers that bloom at the same time as cherry blossoms? One such flower is the bright yellow mimosa. In this feature, we introduce Kuramae Shrine (蔵前神社) in Tokyo, where you can see kawazu-zakura and mimosa in their full glory.

The Kawazu-zakura Blooms

This shrine is located close to Kuramae Station, Taito-ku, Tokyo. The cherry blossoms at this shrine are of a variety that bloom earlier than Somei-yoshino, which is the most popular cherry tree in Japan. This variety is called Kawazu-zakura, and the petals are a slightly darker pink. The cherry blossoms here bloom from early March to mid-March, depending on the weather conditions of each year.

Since the blossoms are a deep, dark pink, it is a very popular spot among photographers.

There is also a Shiba dog statue in the shrine precincts. Isn’t it cute with petals on its head?

The shrine itself isn’t too big but takes on a special charm in spring as it gets dressed in yellow and pink.

The deep pink color of this cherry blossom variety is beautiful—quite different from the faint petals of the Somei-yoshino variety.

The Mimosa Contrast

Another reason why this shrine is popular in spring is because mimosa flowers bloom at the same time as the cherry blossoms.

It is a rare photo spot in Japan, and more so, in central Tokyo.

Mimosa flowers usually start blooming from late February and are usually in full bloom around mid-March. Since they bloom slightly earlier than sakura, there may be some years where it is difficult to get a shot of the two at the same time.

Furthermore, the mimosa flowers are quite low, almost at the same level as the average person’s height. So you could take pictures up close with them.