It may seem strange to head to a cemetery for sakura viewing. Nevertheless, Aoyama Cemetery is a wonderful site for doing just that. No hanami parties - no food - respectful behavior is a necessity, which is just fine with us. The walking paths are lined with pink sakura and the expansive grounds have many more trees, several varieties of sakura and other flowering and non-flowering species. The cemetery covers a lot of territory and it takes a long while to walk through it. There is an information center which can provide you with a good map. There are toilets nearby and drinks machines - be sure to finish your beverage before leaving this area. The graves are very touching and emotional. The foreigners’ cemetery section sheds light on the history of expats from many countries living in Japan years ago. The headstones of the Japanese revealed information through the carvings and dates, even for those of us who don’t read the language. In a few places there was English signage. We also came to Aoyama Cemetery to pay our respects at the grave of Hachikō. The Akita Hachikō’s loyalty to his master, Professor Ueno, is a story known to everyone in Japan and to many visitors to Japan. His little grave site, in the small enclosure with his master’s tomb, contains a shrine, a small statue of an Akita, vases for flowers, incense sticks. It brought tears to my eyes. We left a token at his grave site as many others had before us. Hachikō’s Grave is located area 6, plot 12.

Fancy viewing cherry blossoms in a cemetery! This is exactly what we did. Took a train to the Aoyama cemetery to view cherry blossoms. Not in full bloom yet. Only a few trees flowering. A peaceful and serene place to take a walk. Tombstones in neat rows.