#017 Nothern View of Asukayama

The 17th view in Utagawa Hiroshige’s “100 Famous Views of Edo” is Nothern View of Asukayama. The original picture is here.

Asukayama Park in Kita Ward, Tokyo is famous for its cherry blossoms even today. It was easy to identify the location of the photo shoot. I climbed up to the top of Asukayama hill, which is located right next to JR Oji Station, and looked toward the northeast from the northern edge of the park….

But, that’s not the case!
As I said before, Mt. Tsukuba is impossible to see from the city of Tokyo no matter what you do!

I had no choice but to head north and snap the shutter, since no one would be able to reach me if I complained. The only thing in common was the cherry blossoms in full bloom, but the photos turned out to be very dissimilar.

The dull weather may have dampened the sunny mood. The original picture also looks as if the scenery is white and hazy, so if you can tolerate it, it will make me feel a little better. The scenery may get lowest point though, the fact that people seem to be somewhat buoyant during hanami (cherry blossom viewing) is the same now as in the past.

Let’s take a glimpse at some photos of the blooming park.

Speaking of Asukayama to Oji, as a very entry-level railroad photography enthusiast, there is something else that interests me as well as the cherry blossoms. I think this photo may be a better example than “100 View” this time.

The “Tokyo Sakura Tram,” or Arakawa Line, runs on a valuable combination track by Asukayama Park. The Sakura(Cherry) Tram, the cherry blossoms in full bloom, and the body color of the train are also cherry blossoms, so this photo was too good to be a coincidence. I did it!