Aoyama Cemetery in Spring

This may be a little surprising, but traffic jams -- both the pedestrian and vehicle variety -- are not uncommon at Aoyama Cemetery in the Spring. Especially on a sunny Saturday afternoon in April. You see, Sakura or Cherry Blossom Season is one of Japan’s 72 micro-seasons, and there is a deep and devout desire to see and celebrate the renowned and revered pale pinkish blooms. People come from all over the world to bear witness to the annual budding. And, quite honestly, Aoyama Cemetery is one of Tokyo’s most picturesque places to see them. 

Blooming from behind, above and before tombstones and statuary and lining the central avenue and promenades, the sakura provide a metaphoric reminder of the circle of life, the birth of beauty that comes every year in an area where whole lives are laid to eternal rest. For me, it’s as if each bloom is a symbolic reminder of the moments lived by those who have passed, and a call to action to make my lived moments count in the here and now.