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Nezu Shrine, Tōkyō

Less than a mile's walk northeast from Tōkyō's Ueno Park, Nezu Shrine, surrounded by modern buildings, is associated with the Shintō deity, Susanoo-no-mikoto, the mythological kami of the sea and storms. Founded over 1,900 years ago, the shrine, one of Japan's oldest, was originally located a little north of its present location. It was relocated and rebuilt in 1705. This is the Torii gate at the southern entrance to the shrine's grounds.

Several buildings and structures on the shrine's grounds are among Japan's most important cultural properties. Among them are its honden, the main hall and most sacred building.

The grounds of Nezu Shrine also contain two subsidiary Inari shrines. Inari was the Shintō kami of harvests as well as foxes, fertility, rice, tea and sake, agriculture and industry, and prosperity in general. This is the Otome Inari Shrine with its viewing platform overlooking a koi pond.

Otome means maiden in Japanese. Young women come here to prey for good marriages.

As with many other Inari shrines, this one has torii tunnels, though its are relatively modest in scale, ...

... and kitsune statues.

here are many  Shintō shrines in Japan that are larger and more famous, but Nezu Shirne is considered to be the most beautiful shrine in Tōkyō and well worth a visit at a particular time of year; when its 3,000 azalea bushes are in bloom.

Actually, the photo above is a bit misleading. This is more representative of what the garden looks like during Bunkyo Azalea Matsuri.

Japanese turn out in large numbers to appreciate floral beauty.

Bunkyo Azalea Matsuri just means that it is an azalea festival. Bunkyo is the name of the district within Tōkyō where Nezu Shrine is located. Here is another photo of the shrine's azalea gardens showing part of its surroundings.

The azalea portion of Nezu Shrine's gardens is a little over 1½ acres in size. Public entry into that portion of the gardens is restricted to Bunkyo Azalea Matsuri, but other areas are attractive, too. This year, the festival occurred March 30 thru April 30.

Various species of azaleas at the gardens come in red, pink, orange, purple, and white colors. The approximately 100 different species of azalea there don't all bloom at the same time, so they can look quite different during different times of the festival. One azalea species in the gardens is this week's painting subject, tsutsuji.

Tsutsuji (Rhododendron indicum)

Tsutsuji (sometimes spelled tsutsushi in Japanese texts) is an azalea genus native to Japan, China, and Northeastern Asia. It is shown growing wild here on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu.

Azaleas are a subgenus of rhododendrons. Though there are variations in the appearance of blossoms of both types of plants, here is a comparison.

There are 80 to 117 species of tsutsuji. Most are deciduous; shedding their leaves in the winter. Most rhododendrons are evergreens. Azaleas usually have 5 stamens per blossom; rhododendrons typically have 10. Rhododendron blossoms tend to be bell shaped, while azalea blossoms are tubular or funnel shaped.

Tsutsuji are widely cultivated in Japan. Bushes are most often trimmed to have rounded, dome shapes.

There are other options, however

Azaleas are included in Japan's living arts. The bonsai below is a tsutsuji azalea plant.

Azaleas can be found in some ikebana arrangements.

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849)

Hokusai is most famous for his landscapes, but he painted many kachō-ga (pictures of birds and flowers), too. His Cuckoo and Azalea ukiyo-e was painted in 1834.

Hiroshige II (1826 – 1869) 

One of Hiroshige's (1797 – 1858) few students, Hiroshige II took Hiroshige's name for his own after his master died, and he married Hiroshige's daughter. II's painting style was so similar to Hiroshige's that scholars have a hard time distinguishing them. The kachō-ga is titled Kirishima Azaleas at Gokoku-ji Temple in Tōkyō (1866). It is part of a series he painted titled Thirty-six Selected Flowers.

Imao Keinen (1845 – 1924)

Keinen was part of the shin-hanga (new prints) movement in the early 20th century and was appointed an Imperial Household artist. He published a book of paintings titled Keinen Gafu (Pictures of Keinen) in 1892. His Tsutsuji and Cuckoo was the 10th image in the book. One is tempted to think he drew his inspiration from Hokusai.

Hiroshi Yoshida (1876 – 1950)

Considered to be one of the greatest shin-hanga artists, Hiroshi is especially known for his landscapes. He traveled extensively, including to the U.S., and painted the Grand Canyon and other national parks. He is known for painting non-Japanese subjects in traditional Japanese hanga styles. His Tea House in Azalea Garden was painted in 1925.