Cherry Blossoms 2016: Aoyama Cemetery (Minato, Japan)

Although it’s a rather strange idea to go to a cemetery to view something beautiful and happy as the cherry blossoms, we still decided to visit the Aoyama Cemetery. Through research, we found out that most cemeteries in Japan are actually lined up with cherry blossoms because as in life, the blooms are fleeting.

Going around the graves, you feel a strange sense of calm. It is so tranquil but every now and then you chance upon a jogger or a car passes by the main road but it is never too noisy. A nice cab driver, who was probably hired for the afternoon by someone visiting a loved one, took the time to direct us to the grave of Professor Hidesaburo Ueno and Hachiko in broken English but all throughout in a friendly manner. Tired of going around, we spent some time just sitting still in one of the benches before making our way to the nearest train station that will take us to our next destination.