The Wednesday afternoon
hanami crowd at Ueno Park was wonderfully boisterous. We saw so many interesting and happy people strolling under a cherry blossom canopy, and even more people had pitched blankets on the cement verges. Definitely the place to be for the sake and whisky crowd. The Radiation Rebels headed back to Yokosuka before the sun went down but next spring I think we ought to bring blankets and sake and see what the blossoms look like when all those festive lanterns are lit.
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| Cherry blossom canopy |
We paused near the park entrance to hear this quartet perform what we think was a selection from an Italian opera. The young man taking a bow has an amazing voice and was wearing perfectly round black glasses that made him look like a cross between Waldo and Harry Potter (the book rather than movie version).
This is Sunshine's first spring in Japan. She was not going pass up an opportunity to pose with a wrestler-in-training.
Photo credit today belongs to Weather who graciously shared all her Ueno Park pictures after my camera battery expired halfway across Shinjuku Gyoen. She let me take this picture with her fancy camera.
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| The picnic crowd on the verge, literally and figuratively perhaps |
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| Two cats snoozing in a cherry tree |
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| A young family exiting the Science Museum |
We paused near the park entrance to hear this quartet perform what we think was a selection from an Italian opera. The young man taking a bow has an amazing voice and was wearing perfectly round black glasses that made him look like a cross between Waldo and Harry Potter (the book rather than movie version).
This is Sunshine's first spring in Japan. She was not going pass up an opportunity to pose with a wrestler-in-training.
Photo credit today belongs to Weather who graciously shared all her Ueno Park pictures after my camera battery expired halfway across Shinjuku Gyoen. She let me take this picture with her fancy camera.
Love the kitty blossom photo!
ReplyDeleteI love the cat picture too.
ReplyDeleteI had heard that there was some thought that cherry blossom time would be restrained because of the earthquake and subsequent events. Looks like there was still a joy to be found in the turning seasons. Important to seize joy where you find it.
Kim would know for certain since she lives in Kamakura but I think I noticed that the lanterns leading to Hachimangu Shrine are absent this year. And one of my students told me that river cruises are not being offered in Tokyo.
ReplyDeleteWe also saw that wonderful quartet in Ueno park, (on Wednesday 6th April) but whilst we watched, they sang and played what we thought were traditional Japanese folk songs. Would love to know the name of the group, and whether they are recorded. Can anyone help?
ReplyDelete