We’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting since we arrived last July. Through the heat of summer. Through the icy winds of winter. We’ve been promised again and again and again: Wait. Be patient. Something beautiful is coming.
And now? Beautiful is here. The cherry blossoms are blooming!
They take their cherry blossoms very, very seriously in Japan. The entire nation has been in anticipation mode, standing on their collective toes, peering up at the trees with hopeful gleams in their eyes. They even have a forecast for when the revered trees will go into bloom: http://www.jnto.go.jp/sakura/eng/index.php. Almost every Japanese newspaper, magazine and website is packed with articles about where to go to see the best blooms. The lists of cherry blossom festivals are long and detailed. We can’t even walk into a store without bumping into numerous pink ‘Sakura’ products on display.
Earlier this week, we spent three days in downtown Tokyo. Liam is on a break from school and Wil was able to tear himself away from work for a few days, so we booked a hotel in Roppongi for two nights. I knew from the helpful Sakura forecast that we were a little early but I did my homework and read that Shinjuku-Gyoen park is known for having a few early bloomers. Consequently, that’s where we headed on Wednesday.
I’m so glad we did. Many of the park’s trees were still in winter mode, dark and craggy, but at least 15 per cent of them were dressed in their spring kimonos. The blooming trees were the celebrities, basking not only in spring sunlight but the flashes of cameras wielded by admiring onlookers.
This is only an early taste, a sweet sprinkle of pink before the real show starts. I’m plotting trips over the next few weeks to parks known for their plethora of blooms. I can’t wait to see more of these lovely sylvan ladies. I thought I’d share, though, while the glow is still new. Our winter was mild here, but even so, I’ve longed for proper sunshine and flowers, especially the frothy, pink kind.
IF YOU GO: For details on Shinjuku-Gyoen park and other Tokyo-area parks with plentiful blossoms, visit Japan-Guide: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3050.html.