Back to Tokyo then for the last 30 hours of time in Japan.
This time, the city was warm and occasionally sunny so we joined the throngs
and went Sakura hunting again.
First stop, Meguro, a trendy river-side area normally frequented
by art students and boutique clothes shop types. As it was the main
Sakura weekend the river banks were populated with pop-up bars and food stalls
we drank fizz and wandered up and own enjoying the pink haze, and the festival
atmosphere the changing of the seasons creates. There were even Sakura
Police who politely got the crowds to put their drinks/cameras/skewers down long
enough to let the odd vehicle through without incident.
The next day we had a look at the Imperial Palace grounds
(amuses us to think that an Emperor still lives there) and then headed back to
Ueno Park where it was significantly different to our first visit.
Although it was cloudy, and had rained over-night, the huge groups of people
who’d pre-planned their picnics were going ahead no matter what. Tarps were
spread under every tree and hundreds of people turned up with food and drink to
spend the day celebrating the blossom. Out on the lake the
swan-boats were being pedalled with gusto (pink ones particularly popular) and
Asahi were doing very good business.
And with sad faces it as then time to pack up and go.
Absolutely loved Japan. The national psyche seems to be set as positive;
manners are very important and exercised at all times yet their sense of fun is
overwhelming. There are small signs on the subway pointing out that
walking and using your phone is dangerous – so people don’t. Rubbish bins
are almost non-existent because people take their litter home with them.
Strangers bow to each other to say thank you, or sorry (rarely needed in our
experience) in a way that creates respect and humility at the same time.
After two weeks of covering a fair amount of ground we felt relaxed and serene
in a way we haven’t for a long time.
Place your bets on how long it’ll take Beijing to beat that
serenity out of us…..
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