Amid temples and shrines, cherry trees bloom

Among the best places in Tokyo to enjoy the explosion of blossoms are its Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and parks. (iStockphoto.com)

KYOTO, Japan - One Sunday morning in April five years ago I was awakened by the sound of people chattering on my front lawn in Bronxville, N.Y. When I looked out there was a small group of Japanese clustered around my blossoming cherry trees taking turns being photographed.

I sent my husband out in his bathrobe to see what was going on. In five minutes, he was back. "They say they're from Kyoto, Japan, and are touring the US. They've missed cherry blossom time in Kyoto and are unhappy about it. They saw our trees, and it reminded them of home."

I knew that the Japanese love their cherry trees, which they call "sakura," and that cherry blossom time in Japan is special. Japanese make pilgrimages to places with especially beautiful displays, with Kyoto topping their list.

It was probably this incident that planted the seed for my pilgrimage to the blossoms of Japan. I decided to go in early spring and only to Kyoto, Japan's imperial capital from 794 to 1868, when the capital was moved to Tokyo.

Unless the climate is totally uncooperative, it is pretty safe to plan a trip at the beginning of April. Mine spanned 11 days, allowing a small cushion of time in case the weather might be too cold and delay the blossoms, or too warm and cause them to bloom earlier.

If you time your visit right, trees should be in bloom just about everywhere: in most of the city's Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, in gardens and parks, and along city streets.

If you're looking for the best places to see blossoms, here are my dozen favorites:

Among temples, top honors go to the famous Ryoan-ji, known for its Zen rock garden placed in carefully raked sand. Less known to visitors are the cherry trees outside the garden enclosure.

Just as famous is Kiyomizu-dera, whose main hall has a wooden terrace perched on a steep hillside that affords a spectacular panorama of blooming trees in hues from barely pink to deep rose.

A new discovery for me on this trip was Chion-in, whose origins date to the 13th century and whose Sanmon Gate is the largest in Japan. Beside the gate and dotted around the temple complex are hundreds of cherry trees.

Among shrines, Heian-jingu, built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of Kyoto's founding, boasts magnificent weeping cherry trees, especially striking against the bright orange-red of the shrine buildings.

The last place we visited on our last day in Kyoto was the down-to-earth Hirano shrine. It's not an especially beautiful shrine, but it is very popular with Japanese and is said to have over 80 varieties of cherry trees. Most were in bloom when we visited.

Temples and shrines are some of the best places for blossom viewing, but literally all of Kyoto is a stage for the blossoms. One very dramatic place is Nijo Castle, built in 1603 by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. (The shoguns, or samurai rulers, were the de facto rulers of Japan for almost 700 years.) The grounds surrounding the castle explode with the color pink each spring.

Maruyama Park in the city's center is a local favorite. Normally a quiet place for a stroll, it is filled to capacity at blossom time when crowds come to amble or picnic among the trees. The centerpiece of Maruyama is a venerable granddaddy of a cherry tree that is lighted at night.

There is a classic stroll in Kyoto that visitors shouldn't miss. Called the Philosopher's Walk in honor of famed philosopher Nishida Kitaro (1870-1945) who frequented it, the 2-mile walk beside a small stream in the eastern part of the city goes from Ginkaku-ji temple to Nanzen-ji temple. The views of ancient walls and houses framed in blossoms are unforgettable.

Gion, a prime dining and entertainment area, is also dotted with cherry trees, both along the Kamogawa River and on some of the side streets. Many are dramatically lighted at night.

Travelers don't have to leave the environs of Kyoto in search of blossoms, but those lucky enough to have more than two or three nights there should consider two excursions. The first is Nara, briefly Japan's capital before Kyoto (710-85). Just 30 minutes from Kyoto by train, Nara is an easy day trip. The rewards are many: Todai-ji, the largest wooden building in the world, housing a Buddha that is among the largest bronze statues in the world; the two pagodas, one 12th century, the other 15th, of Kofuku-ji; the lovely Isui-en garden; Kasuga shrine with hundreds of stone, bronze, and golden lanterns; the deer park with 1,200 tame deer (actually much of Nara is a deer park since the deer are not penned in and can go wherever they like); and in early April cherry trees in bloom.

The second excursion is to Himeji, Japan's most magnificent castle, built in 1580 by the shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This is a castle par excellence with dungeons, keeps, sturdy defense walls, even a moat with a drawbridge. Himeji is a great excursion anytime, but when the trees bloom it is incredibly beautiful. Himeji is about 90 minutes by train from Kyoto and a 20-minute walk or five-minute cab ride from the station.

My favorite cherry tree? It turned out to be in the lovely small garden of the Hyatt Regency Kyoto where I spent 10 of my 11 nights in the city. It was beneath my third-floor window. I watched it progress from bud to full blossom in the course of my stay. On the day I left I looked out the window at daybreak and saw its lovely light pink petals scattered on the grass. Time to go home.

Julie Skurdenis, a freelance writer in Bronxville, N.Y., can be reached at julie.skurdenis@bcc.cuny.edu.