Sakura

Spring is here in Japan and the Cherry Blossoms aka Sakura are out in full force. I feel like some of them bloomed over night! They typically stay bloomed for about a week/ week and a half but different varieties bloom at different times so its a bit tricky to figure out the best spots. Today I went with some of my girlfriends to Tokyo to do some shopping and see the Cherry Blossoms in Yoyogi Park. At this particular park the blossoms were very white not much pink in them like some I have seen and I felt like I was directly under clouds. It was a beautiful sight to see and my camera and photography skills don't do them justice.

In Japan it is a centuries-old tradition to picnic under the Sakura blossoms. It is known as "Hanami" and every park will have lots of people on blankets or tarps that the park provides picnicking all day long. We were surprised how many people were picnicking in the middle of a work day. I think the Japanese people get time off during Sakura season but not sure.  Lots of festivals happen on the weekends for Hanami as well.

My friend Lindsey has lived in Japan for about 2 years so she knew where to go. She also took us to a great shopping district in Tokyo called Omotesando with lots of boutiques and restaurants. It was a perfect day!

It may be Sakura picture overload for the next few days. I have a few visits planned in the coming week weather permitting. I hope I can see more, they are truly beautiful!