Aoyama Cemetery (青山霊園) is located in Aoyama, Minato, not far from Roppongi. The cemetery is famous for its cherry blossoms and many people visit it during hanami season. When I visited, the blossoms were already past their peaks and petals were falling from the trees and covering the tombs and alleys.
Starting at Oji station, I walked on a pedestrian path along the Takinogawa River (滝野川) until I reached Naka-Itabashi station. The path is lined with many cherry trees.
After getting down from Mount Sekirou and/ back at Sagami Dam, I decided to return home using the Tokyo section of the Tokai Nature Trail. It goes from the dam to Mount Shiro (城山) and Mount Takao (高尾山). I then took the lift down Mount Takao to the Keio Takaosanguchi train station.
A few weeks ago, I went on a hike near Lake Sagami, west of Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture. I followed a section of the Tokai Nature Trail: The whole trail covers 1,697km and goes from Mount Takao in Tokyo all the way to Mount Mino near Osaka.
Every spring, a ceremonial one-day sumo tournament called Honozumo is held on the grounds of Yasukuni Shrine. Entrance is free.
With more than 600 cherry trees, Yoyogi Park is a popular hanami spot for the Harajuku crowd.
Hatonomori Hachiman Shrine is a shinto shrine in Sendagaya, Shibuya City. Its distinguishing feature is its Fujizuka, called the Sendagaya Fuji. Fujizuka are small mounds that represent Mount Fuji. Fuji worshipers who are unable to do a pilgrimage to the top of Mount Fuji can use one of those instead. There are many other such Fujizuka in Tokyo (for example, at Shinagawa Shrine or Onoterusaki Shrine in Iriya).
With over 1,000 cherry trees, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is one of the best and most popular spots for hanami in Tokyo.
After getting down from Mount Komagatake and starting from the Hakone-en Komagatake Ropeway station, I walked on the road in the direction of Moto-Hakone, at the southern end of Lake Ashi. I spent some time at the Hakone shrine and at the Hakone Detached Palace. I then took the so-called Outer Rim Trail (外輪山のハイキングコース) that follows the Ashinoko Skyline Road in the mountains west of Lake Ashi. I followed the trail until I reached Togendai, at the northern end of Lake Ashi. I arrived just in time to catch the last express bus to Shinjuku.
A couple of weeks ago, I went back to Hakone, this time for a hike to Mount Kanmurigatake, Mount Kami (神山; 1438m) and Mount Komagatake (駒ヶ岳; 1327m).