Winter Sakura

I did not know there was a type of Sakura blooming in December!

The last petals

Despite the fact that most petals are gone, someone is still enjoying the hanami.

Kyoto and Kiyomizu-dera

Kyoto 京都 (top center and left) as seen from nearby Kiyomizu-dera 清水寺 (top right) during early cherry blossom (bottom)

Sakura 2008 - Shinjuku Gyoen

Shinjuku's skyscrapers reflected on 中の池 (middle pond) in Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑)．

Sakura 2007 - Shinjuku Gyoen

Shinjuku Gyoen was constructed on the site of a private mansion belonging to Lord Naito, a "daimyo"(feudal lord) of the Edo era. Completed in 1906 as an imperial garden, it was re-designated as a national garden after World War 2nd and opened to the public.





58.3 hectares(144 acres) in size and with a circumference of 3.5 km, it blends three distinct styles, French Formal, English Landscape and Japanese Traditional, and is considered to be one of the most important gardens from the Meiji era.

Sakura 2007 - Chidorigafuchi

Chidorigafuchi (千鳥が淵) is probably one of the most famous cherry-blossom viewing spot in Tokyo. Almost everybody all over the world has already seen it in some movie, or anime, or manga.

Sakura 2007 - Inokashira Koen

Inokashira Park 井の頭公園 is the first park founded by an emperor open to the public on May 1, 1918. The name at that time was Inokashira Onshi Kōen (井の頭恩賜公園) which can be translated as "Inokashira Imperial Gift Park." For a more detailed description see my previous post

Sakura 2007 - Okubo Campus

Inokashira Park - 井の頭公園

Inokashira Park (井の頭公園) was the first park founded by an emperor open to the public. Its particularity is its elongated lake around which the park is shaped. The lake is divided by a bridge and pleasure boats are available for dating couples or families that flock at weekends.









The park has a shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the Goddess of property, good-looks, entertainment and love. However, this one must be a vicious one as it is said that couples courting in the park will split soon afterwards (and, as far I am concerned, I can testify that these hearsays are correct).
The award-winning novelist Osamu Dazai mysteriously commited suicide here with his lover in 1948.



Some numbers about 井の頭公園:

• Opening date: 1 May 1918
• Land area: 383,773 m2
• Number of trees: Tall trees : 11,060 / Shrubs : 12,800 / Lawn : 10,000 m2
• Variety of plants: Cherry trees, cypresses, red pines, azaleas

Tai ji quan in 新宿御苑

A nice group of people doing exercises (maybe tai ji quan? I cannot be sure) under the cherries in 新宿御苑. Nice, isn't it?

Cherry blossoms at Chidorigafuchi

The North-Eastern moat of the Imperial Palace known as Chidorigafuchi (千鳥が淵) is one of the most famous cherry-blossom viewing spot in Tokyo. Crowds gather between Kudanshita and Hanzomon stations to contemplate the snow-white blossoms.
Unfortunately I arrived too late and the light was not good enough to take good pictures... but still the view is impressive, isn't it?

Sakura 2004

A nice view of the modern Tokyo through the cherry blossom (sakura) at the sunset, near Chidori-ga-fuchi, one of the most famous spot for sakura in Japan