Kameido Tenjin Shrine 亀戸天神社

Kameido Tenjin Shrine is dedicated to the god of scholarship, attracting students of all ages who call on higher powers to help them pass their exams. Bursting with pink plum trees in late winter and purple wisteria in spring, this shrine was chosen as one of the "100 Famous Views of Edo."

Although located a modest distance from the closest station, the views are well worth the effort.

The shrine is a 15-minute walk from Kameido Station on the Sobu Line, or a 15-minute walk from Kinshicho Station on the Sobu or Hanzomon lines.

Kameido Tenjin is one of several shrines dedicated to the ninth-century politician Sugawara no Michizane, who was deified and renamed Tenjin after his death.

A great poet and scholar, Sugawara is regarded as the patron god of students. For centuries children and anxious parents have come to pray at this shrine, hoping for good grades and admission to top universities.

The shrine's main building, gates and elegantly arched red taiko (drum) bridge were all constructed to resemble Dazaifu Tenmangu near Fukuoka, one of the major Tenjin shrines in Japan.

Nicknamed the "flower shrine," the lovely gardens at Kameido Tenjin have made this spot a favorite scene of Japanese artists. Ukiyo-e master Hiroshige included a print of Kameido Tenjin in his "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" series.

The plum festival takes over the grounds from February to mid-March. In addition to admiring the pink and white blossoms, you can also enjoy yummy snacks around the shrine.

From mid-April to early May, visitors flock to see trellises of violet wisteria flowers bloom around the pond during the shrine's Wisteria Festival.