Tokyo: Hanami

After my meeting in Shinjuku I went on a tour of Hanami, cherry blossom viewing.

The timing is perfect: the blossom is at its best, and in a week or so it will already fall down. During this short period, the Japanese people enjoy walking around under the trees, chatting with friends, drinking, and eating. There are food stands in all the parks.

I started in Shinjuku Gyoen, then went to Ueno Park (where is was very crowded, even on a Monday), and finally Sumida Park (at Asakusa). Pictures in that order:





In the evening had a wonderful dinner with my friends Hideo, Jeff, and Takamichi from AsiaNetcom. The (dried) fishes in the picture were actually used as chopstick holders when we came in, then cooked again for a while, and eaten as a whole. Not bad at all, and the rest of the dinner got even better.