Japan Day 3 – Cherry Blossoms

Don’t worry, you haven’t missed anything, days 1 and 2 were travel days. We had a full day of exploring parks and museums in Tokyo yesterday and I was so tired at the end of the day I could not figure out how to choose a few photos to share with you. Then when I woke up in the middle of the night It became clear to me that the way to go was not to just give you a blow by blow account of what we did but to concentrate on the theme of the day which was without question Cherry Blossoms.

Now, I have to say I did not come to Japan particularly to see the cherry blossoms. But when it came time to decide when to go I thought, “Well, why not go when the cherries are blossoming.” So, I came without great expectations. Well, it turns out that here in Tokyo the Cherry Blossoms peaked the middle of last week. To my eye there were still plenty of trees still nearing peak but I can see that the overall effect might have been even more stunning a few days ago.

What I found interesting was how obsessed these people are with the flowering of trees. We all enjoy the spring blossoms at home, but these people have Cherry Blossom viewing parties. And, it being Sunday, yesterday, the viewing was in full swing, despite the best blossoms having past peak. Apparently, the snowy effect of the falling blossoms is also appreciated. Our guides were quite concerned about finding us trees to view in their full glory.

So, we started our day at the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. This is the location of the Palace of the Tokugawa Shogunate which ruled from about 1600 to 1868 (also known as the Edo Period in Japan because the capital was moved from Kyoto to what would become Tokyo at the time the Tokugawas came into power). The main buildings from that time have all burned down. But the stunning rock walls remain as do some of the gate houses. And the East Gardens serve as a lovely public park. The Emperor and his family still live here in a rebuilt palace.

On the day of our visit, however, parts of the Palace grounds which are not normally open to the public were available for viewing the cherry blossoms as the Emperor and his family would see them. And people were lining up in mass to go in. These police officers were directing people where to go.

We stayed clear of the crowds and visited the regular grounds. There we saw plenty of blossoming trees as well as people setting up for their viewing parties under the blossoming trees. We also had a chance to see the traditionally landscaped gardens.

Next, we visited the Yasukuni shrine. A Shinto shrine dedicated to those fallen in wars. This picture was taken at one of the entry gate looking out. The main shrine building is beautiful but, unfortunately, I couldn’t get any cherry blossoms into the picture, so it will have to be seen at another time. It

Finally, we headed to Ueno park. After lunch we strolled through the park, as best we could due to massive crowds. Here viewing parties were in full gear and as our guide pointed out, you could almost smell the sake in the air. People had set up tarps all along the paths and were reveling cheek by jowl under the trees. It was a carnival atmosphere and included food booths in an open square near the end of our walk to the Tokyo National Museum. It put me in mind of being on the Washington (D.C.) mall on forth of July waiting for the fireworks to begin.

We retreated into the museum which boasts many beautiful treasures. But in keeping with my theme, I will only share this photograph of a painting of a Cherry Blossom viewing party from an earlier day.

For my daily Haiku, I have tried to capture the aesthetic of the Cherry Blossoms:

Delicate blossoms

Such ephemeral beauty

Petals drop like snow.