Yushima Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo

On Feb. 20th, I headed into Tokyo for the afternoon to join a meetup group at the above named shrine. Why? To enjoy the first ume (pronounced "oo-meh" -- in English, plum) blossoms of the year! Sakura (cherry) blossoms are the most famous buds in Japan, but ume blooms about one month earlier, and are just as beautiful.

I took many photos from the day...

The shrine's gate:



Lanterns on the steps:



Triple ume bonsai...whoa! What does it mean? ^_^



Side view of the main shrine:


Hanging lanterns with wood carvings:

These are prayer tablets. This shrine is famous for studying, so many students visited, writing their wish to pass the entrance exam to university on these wooden tablets:

Ume blossoms usually appear between mid February to mid March in Japan. Sakura blossoms occur from late March to mid April. Viewing blossoms is a national pastime in Japan, in which many people enjoy picnics outdoors, under the large blooming trees. 

 A single ume bonsai tree. Lovely eh? ^_^

 (This was for sale. Cost? About ¥2,000 = $20)

In the main garden area, many trees were still quite bare, 

but I did find this single ume blossom, out enjoying the sunshine. ^_^

The meetup group I joined. Everyone was super friendly! ^_^

Can you spot cutenekko? ^_^

Yushima Tenjin Shrine is the most famous spot in Tokyo for viewing ume blossoms. It is located a short, 5 minute walk from the Metro station, Yushima, on the Chiyoda line. Entrance to the shrine is free. ^_^

Additional info:

Yushima Tenjin shrine review and map (via Lonely Planet Japan) 

English homepage of the shrine, with excellent explanations regarding the history of Yushima Tenjin. 

Access:
Tokyo Metro, Chiyoda line. Yushima station. Walk 5 minutes from Exit 1. 

Meetup Group:
Visit meetup.com and search "Tokyo" to find groups such as this. Groups vary based on interests. 
For privacy reasons, I won't reveal the name of this particular meetup.