Tokyo: Full Bloom

Three days on from my last visit, today I was back in Tokyo to see how the cherry blossoms were coming along at two of the city's best-loved parks. Both are now well into the period of best viewing, with happy crowds gathering to enjoy the scenery while soaking up the intermittent sunshine.

Rain is forecast for the next few days, but the blossoms should still be robust enough at this stage to cling on for a few more days. Best viewing conditions will likely come to an end however on Saturday when heavier rain is predicted.

Elsewhere in the country, Raina's report from Nara yesterday found the city to be already at best viewing, with nearby Osaka expected to get there by around the middle of this week.

I started the day in Ueno Park, a spacious public area known for its many attractions, including a zoo, six major museums and several temple buildings. Having last seen it on Friday when things were still getting started, I was delighted by the transformation - trees along the main avenue and the causeway through the Shinobazu Pond were equally thick with lovely, fresh looking blossoms.

Within the park, an impressive number of food stands can be found at both ends of the main avenue and along the approach to the Bentendo Hall. Lanterns along the main strolling avenue will be lit from March 14 to April 5 between 17:00 and 23:00, while the pond area will be illuminated from March 20 to April 19, 17:00 to 20:00 or 21:00 depending on the day.

My second stop was at Yoyogi Park, another of the city's biggest open spaces located in the Shibuya district. Here, many of the trees are clustered at the southern end and lining its wide central lawn. In both spots, the blossoms were again very attractive and in line with Ueno Park, with lots of visitors to be seen eating and drinking on ubiquitous blue tarpaulins.

While I did spot the odd food truck within the park, note that there are no officially organized illuminations taking place here. Despite this, the park remains a popular evening spot as it is open 24 hours and does not forbid alcohol.