Hanami in Tokyo & Yokosuka

This year I took a bus tour to see the cherry blossoms (sakura) in Tokyo. It was a beautiful day and the flowers were at their peak. Many people were enjoying hanami (flower viewing), which typically involves lounging on blue tarps and eating and drinking under the trees...with lots and lots of other people!

Sumida Koen

Tokyo Skytree

Weeping sakura (shidarezakura)

Skytree and Sumida River

The most popular place for hanami in Tokyo - Ueno Koen

Hanami time

Awesome setup with shoe cubbies and everything!

Kaneiji Temple

Unusual tree from Kyoto with single/double flowers within the temple grounds

Chidorigafuchi near the Imperial Palace

Yasukuni Shrine

Jizō statues at Zojyoji Temple at the base of the Tokyo Tower

The next set of pictures are from our neighborhood, Sakuragaoka (which literally means "cherry blossom hill"). This year the trees started blooming March 25 and now they are all falling down. In general, the blossoms only last two weeks or less.

Hashi with the sakura in full bloom at a park by our house

Sakura falling

The lanterns are lit up at night

Yozakura - "night sakura"

This is the best my camera can do at night

We walk around this ravine every day

Tokyo skyline with the Skytree way across the bay from our house

Yaezakura - sakura with more than 5 petals

Looking down the hill towards our house

Yanaka

Yanaka is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Tokyo.  It is part of an area called the shitamachi (literally "low city"), which is not only a physically low area but an area that was inhabited by the lower classes during the Edo period (1603-1867). This area wasn't as badly damaged as many parts of Tokyo in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the firebombing during World War II. It used to be an old temple town so there are temples everywhere. 

 I liked this neighborhood a lot since it has a very different feel from most of the touristy areas of Tokyo, which move at a pretty frenetic pace. It was lovely for a Saturday stroll. Note all the snow that is still remaining almost a week after the big snowstorm on Coming of Age Day.

Yanaka ginza pedestrian shopping street

Remaining snow

Maneki-neko (beckoning cat)--raised left paw brings customers and raised right paw brings wealth

Traditional shop

Old temple and new highrise

Temple cat

This building had a camel and a robot on top. Why not? :)

Old earthen and tile wall from the Edo period 

Old Tokyo House

New Tokyo apartments and matching bike

View of the Skytree at dusk