Spring time means flowers, flowers and more flowers in Japan.
On Saturday, knowing it would probably be the last nice day to see the cherry blossoms in full glory, I took my 6-year-old son for an outing to our favorite Tokyo park: Showa Kinen Koen in Tachikawa. I went for the cherry blossoms: Liam for the playgrounds. We both, however, enjoyed discovering the park’s annual flower festival was happening. We went last year, but I remembered it being later in the year.
By flower festival, I mean massive amounts of planted beds bursting with color. The flower beds flow organically through a central portion of the park, winding along next to a pond and blending into wooded areas. They ooze over small hillsides and down along walkways. It’s a wonderful experience to explore the park during the festival, never knowing what new burst of color will emerge around each corner.
Admittedly, some of the gardens were still a little sparse but there were so many beautiful varieties of flowers.
After getting our fill of spring blooms, we ventured toward the park’s large cherry tree grove. It edges a massive field and provided the perfect spot for hanami, picnicking while we gazed up at the cherry blossoms. As I hoped, the cherry blossoms were still in bloom despite the rain we received this week.
I missed the peak by a few days, I think, but they were still gorgeous. Everyone else thought so, too. The park was brimming with people out relaxing and enjoying meals under the branches.
If you are local and would like to see the flowers yourself, the Showa Kinen Flower Festival 2016 continues in Tachikawa through May 22. There’s an English tab on the site which provides info on directions, hours, etc.