It's
Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Time, a very important time in Japan, so I went to see what all the fuss was about. Sakura viewing, or
o-hanami, might be THE most important seasonal event so most Japanese try to find a day from their busy schedules to go out and enjoy them. A common way to do o-hanami is to go to a public space with many trees, bring or own or store-bought
o-bento (lunchbox), and sit under the trees picnic-style eating and maybe drinking
0-sake. Places in Tokyo range from small public spaces to large public parks, most notably
Ueno, Yoyogi, or
Shinjuku Park. Some of the larger parks can get very crowded and sometimes the salarymen enjoy the sake a little too much and things can get unruly, or so I've heard. I went to
Iidabashi where many Sakura line the river banks. There is a cafe on the water there too, but the line was about a mile long, so I just walked along the banks and took some pics, enjoying all the activity and the spectacular flowers. I must say, I was more impressed then I had imagined. I mean, we have Cherry blossoms in the US too and I thought, "how different can it be?". All I can say is it's really amazing and has to be seen to be appreciated. Beautiful but short-lived though they are, the Japan's Sakura are a good reason alone to come for a visit here.
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