Nezu Shrine is one of Tokyo's oldest Shinto Shrines, famous for its Azalea Festival (Tsutsuji Matsuri) which takes place usually in April every year.
On my most recent trip to Japan, I was lucky enough to be there during this amazing festival and if you happen to be there towards the end of the cherry blossom season you should check this one out, it will not disappoint.
Admission and Opening times
The Shrine is open from 6 am to 5 pm daily, with longer opening times during the warmer months of the year. The azalea garden is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm during the festival.
Admission is free for the shrine and 300 Yen for the Azalea Garden. It takes around 1 hour to visit the shrine, and a bit longer if you want to see the Azalea Festival as well.
How to get there
根津神社 Address: 1 Chome-28-9 Nezu, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0031, Japan
Nezu Shrine is a 5-minute walk from Nezu Station and Sendagi Station on the Chiyoda Line and a 10-minute walk from the Todaimae Station on the Namboku Line.
Nezu Shrine
It is one of Japan's oldest shrines. It is said to have been initially built in Sendagi in the 1st century AD and moved to its current location in 1706. It suffered some damage during WW2, with full restoration finishing in 1963.
It is said to be the birthplace of Tsunatoyo Ienobu - the sixth shogun (known as Tokugawa Ienobu).
Along with the highly impressive main buildings of the shrine, you will find beautiful torii gates, lanterns and a koi fish pond.
It felt like I was briefly transported to Kyoto. Even with the crowds coming to see the azaleas, it was still a pretty quiet and relaxing experience, making me forget for a bit that I was in the middle of a very busy Tokyo neighbourhood.
The Azalea Festival - Tsusuji Matsuri
The festival started in 1971. You can see around 100 species of azaleas (3000 azaleas in total)
Be prepared to queue for a bit if you want to be able to walk through rows of these beautiful flowers.
Make sure to add Nezu Jinja to your list, especially if you're in Tokyo during the Bunkyo Azalea Festival. It is, at least in my opinion, a memorable experience.
Since it's quite close to the Tokyo National Museum and Ueno Zoo (a 20-minute walk), you might want to see all three of these while you're in the area.
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I hope life is treating you well.
Take care.