Japan Stories: April 2000
Cherry Blossom Viewing
Early spring is cherry blossom season in Japan, and everyone takes some time out to go look at the trees. There are a few cherry blossom trees in American cities like Washington, D.C., but those cities can't compete with Japanese cities like Tokyo, where the trees can be found on every other street.
The season begins in warm Okinawa very early, around February, then slowly works its way up the country, reaching Tokyo at the beginning of April. We visit Tokyo's Shinjuku Gyoen during the first week of April, when the blossoms are just reaching their peak. Even though we visit on a weekday, the park is thronged with visitors. Most bring picnics of box lunches and more than a little saké.
Picnickers at the Shinjuku Gyoen garden
The cherry blossoms really are breathtaking. We're particularly struck by the subtle variations in color on different trees.
Even outside the parks and formal gardens, you can find cherry blossom trees throughout the city. During the season, we take a walk to Naka-Meguro, a neighborhood only ten minutes from our apartment. A river flows through Naka-Meguro, tamed like all Tokyo rivers to flow listlessly along a nondescript gray concrete channel. We're startled now to see the river completely transformed—it is lined as far as we can see in either direction with hundreds of cherry trees, an enchanting snowstorm of white petals.
