2010/04/05 - Tokyo Report
by francois
This is my third cherry blossom report from Tokyo within a week, during which time I have seen the cherry blossoms progress from being around 20 or 30 % open on March 30 to being generally at full bloom today. Unfortunately, today it was raining on and off throughout the day, which somewhat hampered my enjoyment. Better weather is expected in the city tomorrow and on Thursday, and the flowers should remain at full bloom at least until then.
Shinjuku Gyoen
April 5, 2010 - full bloom
I began my day at Shinjuku Gyoen right when the park opened at 9:00. As opposed to the last time I visited for the March 30 cherry blossom report, there were very few people passing through the gates alongside me.
Few flower watchers braved the bad weather this morning at Shinjuku Gyoen
The reason there were so few people was surely not because of the state of the cherry blossoms, as the somei yoshino variety of trees are now at full bloom. When the skies clear up tomorrow the park should be a great place for flower viewing.
Cherry blossoms at full bloom at Shinjuku Gyoen
Today there were a number of places with much more impressive flowers than on my last trip. For instance, the cherry trees around the Japanese garden and in the cherry tree grove near the park's Sendagaya entrance were particularly striking. There are also many late blooming cherry tree species that are only just opening.
Cherry trees surround a Japanese garden
Unfortunately, the early blooming cherry trees were more sensitive to the rainfall and many of their petals have fallen into the puddles that surround the trees.
An early blooming cherry tree fallen victim to the rain
Yoyogi Koen
April 5, 2010 - full bloom
My next stop of the day was near Harajuku Station, a couple stops away on the Yamanote Line. Yoyogi Koen is a public park, and as opposed to Shinjuku Gyoen it does not charge any entrance fee. The cherry trees at Yoyogi are located quite a distance from the main entrance. Once I reached the cherry trees I had quite a shock. The remains of hundreds of last weekend's cherry blossom viewing parties were strewn beneath the trees and along the park's walking paths. There didn't seem to be anybody cleaning it up either, and a shopkeeper at a kiosk I spoke to said that it would likely not be cleaned up for a couple days.
Despite the garbage the trees were really great, and the flowers were certainly at full bloom. Nonetheless, I wouldn't recommend Yoyogi Koen as a cherry blossom spot in its present condition. Hopefully they will have the park cleaned up by Wednesday. There was truly a massive amount of stuff left behind, so the park must have been very popular over the weekend.
Cherry blossoms at full bloom in Yoyogi Park
Perhaps the main benefactors of the park at the moment are the wild crows, which are feasting on the food that was left behind. After reaching the cherry trees, I heard their cawing almost non-stop, and took a few minutes to watch them on the tarps beneath the trees tearing away at the leftovers.
A crow scavenges the remains of last weekend's flower viewing parties at Yoyogi Park
Meguro River
April 5, 2010 - full bloom
My last stop of the day was the Meguro River, which is lined for hundreds of meters with cherry trees. The trees here were also at full bloom, and it was the busiest cherry blossom spot of the day.
Branches of cherry trees hang over the Meguro River
Though the cherry trees of Meguro River are also at full bloom, on the whole they have been more affected by the recent rain than the trees at Shinjuku Gyoen and Yoyogi Park. Many of the trees near Nakameguro station, which were more advanced when I visited last week, have lost many of their petals and have a lot of stems and leaves showing on their branches. Though the trees seem to be on a descent, the view for the next couple days should continue to be fantastic.
Petals beginning to fall from the cherry trees of Meguro River
Since they were not as advanced as the trees near the station, the trees to the south have not been too much affected by the rain and their branches remain very full with flowers.
Cherry trees along the Merguro River south of Nakameguro Station
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