Cherry blossoms at Asukayama Park in Oji
Asukayama Park is a park located in Oji, Tokyo. It was established by Shogun Yoshimune Tokugawa in the early 18th century to serve as a good hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spot for Edo citizens.
Saruhashi Bridge in Otsuki
At the end of the hike to Mount Ougi and Mount Momokura, I went to have a look at the so-called Monkey Bridge (猿橋; Saruhashi), which gave its name to the area of Otsuki surrounding it. It is a wooden bridge spanning the Sagami River and also one of the three unusual bridges of Japan. This page has some details on its construction (and the list of unusual bridges). After the bridge, I went to the nearby Saruhashi Park before going to the train station and back to Tokyo.
Hike to Mount Ougi & Mount Momokura
Mount Ougi (扇山; Ougiyama; 1138m) and Mount Momokura (百蔵山; Momokurasan; 1003m) are 2 mountains located in Otsuki, in Yamanashi Prefecture. In good weather, they offer great views of Mount Fuji. I went there on a hike a couple of weeks ago.
Cherry blossoms along the Meguro River
Just like the Kanda River, the Meguro River in southern Tokyo is lined with concrete and cherry trees. It is a very popular spot during cherry blossom season and, even on a week day, it was quite crowded. The path starts at Ikejiri-Ohashi station near the Meguro Sky Garden. The crowd thins out considerably east of Meguro station but there are still cherry trees all the way to Shinagawa.
Meguro Sky Garden
Meguro Sky Garden (目黒天空庭園) is a circular roof garden built on top of the Ohashi highway junction.
Cherry Blossoms along the Kanda River
Starting at Edogawa Park in Bunkyo, I walked on a pedestrian path along the Kanda River until I reached Takadanobaba. The river is lined with cherry trees that were at their peak bloom when I visited.
Sumida Park Cherry Blossom Festival
Sumida Park straddles both sides of the Sumida River near Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. It contains a large number of cherry trees that make it a very popular spot during cherry blossom season. I went there after Ueno Park, since it is quite close.
Ueno Cherry Blossom Festival
Ueno Park is one of the most popular spots for hanami in Tokyo. During the festival, 1000 lanterns illuminate the park at night. There are also other events.
Chiyoda Cherry Blossom Festival
The Sakura front has finally reached Tokyo! The city is now covered in white from the cherry blossoms. On Saturday, I went to Yasukuni shrine and the Chidorigafuchi area (north of the imperial palace) for the Chiyoda Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Festival). Although peak bloom was supposed to start a few days later, it was already quite spectacular.