Yushima Tenmangu Shrine Plum Festival 湯島天神梅まつり

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Yushima Tenmangu shrine is currently holding its annual plum festival. The festival is held every February and this year from February 8 to March 8.

Plum flowers in Yushima Tenmangu shrine

Plum flower in Yushima Tenjin shrine

Yushima Tenmangu shrine or Yushima Tenjin shrine, established in 458, is known for enshrining Michizane Sugawara (845-903), a famous scholar, poet and politician of the Heian period. Japan has more than ten thousand tenmangu or tenjin shrines, but they all are intended to calm the spirit of this aristocrat who is said to have caused plagues, droughts, rainstorms, flooding and lightning across the nation after dying in exile in Dazaifu (in Fukuoka prefecture) following the defeat in a political battle.

Ema or votive picture tablets
Yushima Tenjin shrine

He was so talented not only politically but literally that now many students all around Japan come to the shrine and donate "ema" or wooden tablets to pray for success in their entrance exams. Luckily with no plan to take an exam in the foreseeable future, I just enjoyed white and pink plum flowers.

Yushima Tenjin shrine is

- 2 minute walk from Yushima station on Chiyoda line
- 5 minute walk from Ueno-Hirokoji station on Ginza line
- 8 minute walk from Okachimachi station on JR line
- 10 minute walk from Hongo-sanchome station on Marunouchi line

It's also very near the Ueno Park and Tokyo National Museum. You can enjoy the shrine, the park and several museums within the park in one day.  

Plum buds in Yushima Tenjin shrine

Yushima Tenjin shrine gate

湯島天神の梅まつりで見かけた梅の花。人込みもそれほどではなく、梅と膨大な絵馬（笑）を楽しみました。受験シーズンだったんですね。ちなみに湯島天神の正式名称は湯島天満宮。それも知りませんでした。

実はこの天神様、ビルやマンションに囲まれているので、周囲を見渡すと風情がそがれます。なので目線は梅と屋台に集中しました。お昼ご飯の後でなければ屋台を楽しめたのに｡｡｡と少し悔しかったです。まだ満開とはいきませんでしたが、とても可憐でした！