Meg’s Photo Post (Cherries!)

I do have a slight excuse for not posting this sooner. WordPress changed the interface to the back-end of this blog (which means I will have to figure it out…I hope it’s easier), and when that happened they changed the log-in procedure so I reset my password. With that done I can now post this.

April in Japan is cherry blossom season, and if you didn’t know, the Japanese take this very seriously. See here for proof. ‘Sakura’ are cherry trees, and despite being a huge city, they are all over Tokyo in the usual places like parks, but also tucked away on temple grounds and side streets. When not in bloom they are just nice trees that provide shade but otherwise go unnoticed. But when they bloom, they are bright and beautiful and can be seen from hundreds of yards as they pop out against the monochromatic backdrop of the city.

They’re even beautiful as they begin to fade, because the petals fly through the air like snow flurries and build up on the ground in mini ‘drifts.’ Tokyo is unusually clean and other leaves are picked up as soon as they hit the ground. But the cherry blossoms seem to get a pass by virtue of their beauty even in death, often left on the ground for a few days to be admired even as they were before falling.

It is traditional for groups of people and even companies to have a ‘Hanami,’ or cherry blossom viewing party. There are photos below that show some of the organized chaos in Yoyogi Park, about a 25 minute walk from the apartment. For company parties the junior employees are sent out early to stake out a good spot under the trees, spread out the tarps, and guard (and/or drink) the beer.

This year Marketo had a Hanami on a boat cruising on the Sumida River that runs through Tokyo. We took a train and a bus to the Northern part of the city, then boarded a long boat with an enclosed area for sitting and eating. You sit on the ground and cook your own ‘Monja’ on propane griddles built into the middle of the tables. There is even the opportunity to drink a beer or five. Very delicious and fun.

: On the way to our shopping street in Hiroo.

: A random cherry tree.

: Aoyama Cemetery near the apartment.

: The trees at the cemetery are very old and gnarled.

: A family at Yoyogi Park.

: Thousands of people enjoying a picnic under the trees at Yoyogi.

: A shrine on the way to our grocery store.

: This isn’t a cherry but it’s very nice. Our apartment is third floor down, second from the right.

: The bus stop outside of our apartment.

: The trees in the background border the hospital and our complex.

: A shrine just off the main street in Aoyama/Omotesando.

: Naka-meguro had some of the best trees along the canal. Hundreds of people were out at night drinking lots of beer and champagne and having a party.