Hanami

After the Seabee Ball, we stayed the night at the New Sanno and embarked on some Tokyo sightseeing the following day. It just so happened that the cherry blossoms were blooming in perfect harmony with our weekend in Tokyo, so after Japanese Mass at a very friendly local parish we headed for Ueno Park. One of Tokyo's largest and most popular parks, it is home to numerous museums, a temple, a zoo, a lake and many sakura (cherry blossom) trees. Considering the season, our wanderings focused on the site's outdoor scenic offerings. The pathways were indeed lined with beautiful cherry blossoms, however the entire park was packed with people and it seemed that all of Japan (along with throngs of foreign visitors) was out to admire the blossoms. Picnic spots were outlined with tape under the trees and the garbage bins were overflowing with evidence of the innumerable picnickers. Despite the crowds, we were incredibly grateful for the opportunity and fortunate timing to enjoy some hanami ("flower viewing", almost always in reference to sakura) during our second spring in the beautiful country of Japan!

 

We went from being at a Japanese Mass to being in a mass of Japanese :-).



This Snapchat photo failed to send but it still scored points with at least one Japanese local (enough for him to abandon taking photos of the cherry blossoms and instead take one of John) :-).



Torii gate!

Picnickers!

Say "sakura"!

Crowd surfing, anyone?



Bentendo Temple

This stunningly intricate flower greeted us as we strolled along the lake's perimeter.

Some feathered friends enjoying their own interactive version of hanami :-), although this tree had a day or two before its peak bloom.

A quick stop to poke our heads out in Ginza (swanky shopping district in Tokyo) before continuing our train ride home.