Bucket List: Hanami in Spring

Japan, Tokyo, Ueno Park

Most of us who had visited Japan or who are planning to visit Japan will wish to see for ourselves the blooms of sakura in Spring. After numerous visits to Japan, I have had the luxury to admire sakura blooms at different locations in Japan.

Doing a trip to Japan in March 2017, I went to Ueno Park in Tokyo. I was fortunate that the sakura was in full bloom during my visit and I got to enjoy hanami (cherry blossom viewing) together with locals and visitors alike.

The original article was posted in this blog in April 2017.

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The period between late-March and early-April is always a good time to visit Japan, in particular the Tokyo area. The main reason is this period usually coincides with the annual sakura or cherry blossom season.

Huge blooms of pink and white sakuras are a sight to behold. The crowds and the high seasonal prices of hotels and airfares may be a put off but it is also important to remember that sakura only blooms once a year and as visitors, it is not always possible to plan a visit to coincide with this relatively short period.

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

History

The centuries old Japanese tradition off picnicking under a blooming sakura or ume tree is known locally as "Hanami". The practice of hanami started with ume blossoms viewing in the 8th century. This gradually changed when cherry trees (sakura) started to overtake the ume in popularity. By the 12th century, hanami had somehow became synonymous with sakura,. And that tradition stayed to this day.

Places to view Sakura in Tokyo

There are many places both in and around Tokyo as well as in almost all Japanese cities to view sakura. For the purpose of this article, I shall focused on the Tokyo area itself.

In Tokyo, Ueno Park is a convenient and good location to view sakura. Located conveniently just steps away from the Ueno Station, the park has more than 1,000 cherry trees. The hanami crowd here can be really huge as both locals and tourists flocked to the area like bees to wild honey during the cherry blossom period.

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Cherry trees, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

This tree is located at the entrance to the park, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Besides Ueno Park, other excellent areas to visit in Tokyo to view sakuras are Nakameguro (along the banks of the Meguro River), Chiyoda (especially the areas along the Chidorigafuchi moat located just next to the Nippon Budokan) and Nakano (especially the areas around Tetsugaku-do Park and the amazing cherry tree tunnel before Nakano Station).

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Getting There

Ueno Park is easily accessible via the Ueno Station on the JR Yamanote Line and the Ginza Subway Line. It is also accessible via the Uguisudani Station on the JR Yamonote Line (just behind the Tokyo National Museum).

Nakameguro is accessible via the Nakameguro Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line and Tokyo Metro  Hibiya Line.

Nakano is accessible via Araiyakushi-mae Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line.

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

What to Expect

Lots and lots of amazing sights of sakura in full bloom. The shades of pink and white of sakura in full bloom is both mesmerising and romantic. But also expect lots and lots of crowds where the cherry trees are! There are also some occasional pushing and shoving as the crowd gets larger especially during the evening hours.

In some of the quieter areas, pack a lunch box, some drinks and a light ground sheet for some serious hanami or sakura viewing. But if everywhere is crowded and packed with humanity, where can one find a peaceful and quiet spot to enjoy the tradition of hanami in Tokyo? Read the next section "Advices and Tips" at the end of this article to find out where my secret spot in Tokyo for hanami is!

Traditions are strong for the hanami season, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Hanami picnic, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Hanami picnic, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Wishes past, present and future, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Besides sakura, food stalls were also setup in the park to cater to hungry visitors, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Smoking hot Ayu fish, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Advices and Tips

Come prepared to jostle with the crowd. It must be noted that while the crowds may be a bit pushy, they are definitely not rowdy. The Japanese are polite people and generally everything seems to run like clockwork despite minimal crowd control. People still queue and everything tick in unison, providing everybody with a generally pleasant day or evening of sakura viewing.

Jostling for that perfect sakura social media photo, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

As the sakura period coincides with spring, be prepared to experience light rains or the occasional thunderstorm as well. For light rains, try not to carry an umbrella due to the large crowds. You certainly will not wish to accidentally poke into someone's face or eyes with your umbrella! Instead, wear a light jacket which is water-proof. I used a water-proof jacket complete with a hoody to protect myself from the light drizzles.

And now for my secret hanami spot with lots of sakura but without the crowd! The location is Tetsugaku-do Park in Nakano, along the Myoshoji River. The park is a short walk from Araiyakushi-mae Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line. Upon exiting the station, walk straight for a minute or two until you see the road. Turn right and walk straight, crossing the railway track. Continue to walk straight along the small winding road until you see the Myoshoji River cutting horizontally across your path. Tetsugaku-do Park is on the left. The station itself is a pleasant 10-minute ride from Shinjuku Station on the same Seibu Shinjuku Line (also without the usual packed train crowds of Tokyo).

Buy your food and drinks at the shops around Araiyakushi-mae Station because there are no shops in the park or its immediate vicinity. Alternatively, you may buy your food and drinks along the short walk to the park from the train station. I passed by at least two Family Mart convenience stores along the way as I walked to the park after alighting from the train.

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)

Sakura, Ueno Park, Ueno District of Taito, Tokyo, Japan (2017)