The Cherry Blossoms

Tokyo is happy.

Happy because its trees are pregnant with cherry blossoms. Scattered around the neighbourhoods are one or two blossoming trees but then suddenly you find long rows of them flanking rivers or huddles of them in parks. The Japanese have a tradition of going to see the cherry blossoms, sitting under them relaxing and drinking, and that is what I did today.

It was like a school trip, Masako the manager of the Gaijin (foreigner) House where I am staying organised it. She wrote on the whiteboard next to the TV to bring trainers, money and a packed lunch, can’t really get more like a school trip can it?

At 11:35, see…

I was sitting in Kasai park (I think) on a green plastic sheet eating a cheese and tomato sandwich that I had hastily made that morning but which was receiving great praise from my companions. I was there with Masako, her American possibly boyfriend Andy, and two of the Japanese girls living here also. We were later joined by a Russian guy called Alex and his Japanese girlfriend, who also lives here and has a name like Heroi.

Instead of 3000 words here are three pictures

It was like a hundred picnics in one park, each with its own plastic sheet and a host of nice food, happy children and parents with cameras. Some brought little tents, barbecues, badminton rackets.

Others opted to ride on large swan boats; looks like they have them everywhere, though I think the Japanese ones have better eyelashes.

Here is the first picture I am posting which features myself.

So going from left to right we have the Japanese girl who I met on my first day here, the one who lived in America for 12 years and speaks brilliant English. Then it’s me, American Andy, Masako the manager and finally Masako’s sunglasses.

I think though, that we were only having half the fun. The biggest smiles were on the faces of parents who probably spend Monday to Friday tired from work; outside the house twice as much as within. Some Japanese people even have to attend work functions on Saturdays, sociable in nature but essential to keep face among their colleagues (or so my book about Japanese culture tells me.) Sunday can be the only free day in the week and this Sunday hundreds of families were out in the sunshine enjoying each other’s company, underneath the blossoms that had beckoned them outside.

To sum up, just look at this picture.

Another family near us had younger children, somewhere between babies and toddlers. The father was holding up his son just below a cherry tree branch while his wife crouched down to take a picture of their child’s cute chubby face of staring confusion against the blossom. Then it was their daughter’s turn. I just know that when those pictures find their way into solidity they will stay on walls for years to come as sweet reminders of a forgotten day out amongst the blossoms.

But we are harder to please, give a child a sunny day and he will spend hours with grass and sunbeams. Us? We wanted this.

It was my first ferris wheel; I am not including the London Eye for romantic purposes. I went on with these two.

On the right is Miyagi, I remember her name easily because she gave me her business card, which I held with both hands and studied thoroughly as is Japanese business card etiquette. The view from the ferris wheel was beautiful, you might wonder what is beautiful about skyscrapers and smoggy sky but for me it was beautiful because it was what I had come to see. Here was Tokyo laid out huge, a privileged glimpse without worries of transport, crowds, money and language.

Here is Tokyo from the ferris wheel in Kasai Coen (park. Well I think that is where I was).

And this is my picture of my long to be remembered day out with the cherry blossoms. But more importantly and just like the families, my day out in the warm company of others.