Ueno Park
March 22nd, 2013
Every spring there is a short window of time when Tokyo, and most of Japan, explodes. After the brisk, icy winters the gentle rays of springtime sunshine reawaken the senses and the fauna inhabiting the area…oh, yes, that's right; Cherry Blossoms! What blog or trip to Japan would be complete without some mention, however brief, of ye olde infamous cherry blossoms? Believe it or not, their season is actually quite brief- only two weeks or so of their full glory before their petals drop and the trees begin sprouting fresh new leaves for the year. It's often used as a poetic metaphor on the brevity of our own mortality. Hmm.
People gather en masse to celebrate this beautiful yet ephemeral time of year. There will be picnics, public drinking, singing, dates, bike rides, and so forth in any excuse to gather and spend time among the blossoms. It's really quite lovely. There's not a whole lot I can say about it that hasn't already been said a thousand times over by better narrators than I, so enjoy this photo bomb. Imagine the sun on your skin and the low chatter of Japanese around you.
