Witness a Japanese Wedding Photo Spot: Kanda Myojin Shrine

A weekend of weddings and cherry blossoms

Larry Knipfing Mar 23, 2013 - 1 min read

Japanese weddings are held at Shinto shrines

The shrine is surrounded by the daily life of the Japanese people

This couple was very lucky; last year the cherry blossoms did not bloom until 10 days later

Much of the shrine is new, due to past earthquakes and fires

Most shrines have scary statues to keep away evil spirits

A cherry tree near the gate to the shrine

Beyond the wall of the shrine are cherry trees and the city of Tokyo

Although the history of Kanda Myojin Shrine goes back almost 1300 years, it has been rebuilt numerous times, mainly due to earthquakes and fires. The land it occupies is some of the most expensive in Japan, but it still somehow feels like a friendly neighborhood shrine, though bigger and brighter.

Just a five-minute walk from Ochanomizu Station, the day I visited was truly lucky-there was a wedding taking place and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom-very nice!

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Find out more about Kanda Myojin Shrine.

Larry Knipfing @larry.knipfing

Born on Long Island, New York in 1958, I have spent the last 30 years of my life living in Japan, and enjoying every minute of it! I especially love photography, and Japan is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the world to photograph! My other love is fiction writing and I have pub...