By Mark
Greetings all. It's Mark again. See Co-worker Abuse for details on how I got to Japan.
After my previous posts, some readers may get the impression that all my experiences involved physical or emotional pain in some way. That was not (necessarily) the case.
For those of you who know how I got to Japan, remember that it started out as a vacation...one week's worth of time in the middle of April. I chose this date for a reason...cherry blossom viewing (aka hanami).
I have had a burning desire to see the cherry blossoms for years, and I finally had my chance. I hopped on the subway one fine Saturday morning, and headed for Ueno Park. At the same time, about 100,000 other people had the same urge, and joined me there.
Let me set the scene. Early in the morning, people arrive and stake out their spot for their hanami party. Under the cherry trees that line the paths of Ueno Park, they spread out huge blue plastic drop clothes, and hang up signs to signal their location to other members of their party. Then they stock up on food and booze...lots of booze. Others arrive, and the carousing begins.
It was an absolutely perfect April day in Tokyo. The sun was shining, and a gentle breeze was whispering through the blossoms. I have not decided whether the flowers of the cherry tree are white or a very pale pink, but they are stunning. I had bought a small bottle of sake at a convenience store beforehand. Inspired by the moment, I walked slowly through the crowds, sipping slowly on my little nippy bottle of Sho Chiku Bai, and taking in the scene.
Not only are the parties in full swing, but there are also street performers. One lady was performing magic to the accompaniment of a drum. There was a dance troupe doing some dance to the strains of a samisen. Rock bands had set up in the square and were trying to out-grunge each other. It was glorious chaos.
If I ever scan my photos, you will see what I'm talking about. People everywhere getting hammered under the beautiful trees. I only saw one other foreigner while I was there. He looked like a college age boy, and he stood about 6'4'' towering over what appeared to be his host family. He was obviously already happily plowed at 11 in the morning, and he was dancing around in a circle slowly removing his clothes as his family looked on with terrified grins. Of course I had to take a picture of him. I certainly wasn't the only one :).
I then wandered into Toshogu Shrine which is part of the Ueno Park complex, and strolled along munching takoyaki (a sort of octopus dumpling). It was, in my estimation, one of the best days I had in Japan.
