Hanami: Cherry Blossom Viewing

Spring spring spring!
It's that time of the year to unravel your scarfs and switch to a light cardigan. Or something. The days still seem to fluctuate between the ice age and the blazing desert. Yesterday, it was pouring with a temperature nearing the 40s. Opposed to today where the sky is clear and people are sweating under the scorching sun. As for tomorrow, there is a great chance that it will be cold yet again. Fickle weather. I love Japan.

However, my friends and I were fortunate to have (do?) hanami under fair weather. We all met up at Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑) which is an enormous park in the middle of one of the busiest cities. Click the link to Shinjuku Gyoen if you want to be geeky and read about the history because I know nothing.

Being touristy. Look at the beautiful waves of light pink in the background!

Basically, hanami is a very traditional custom here where people gather under the sakura (cherry blossom) trees and appreciate the Japanese nature with their loved ones and/or friends (although it's usually one or the other here). What hanami really is about is drinking beer with your friends in the afternoon, dancing foolishly around the park and lose your unattended children. Especially when it's insanely busy like so:

That was literally what I saw last week. I swear, the announcements would go off every 5 minutes about a lost child. Only in Japan. lol

Nevertheless, I went to solely to acknowledge the scenery and ambiance as well as take a ton of pictures until everything began to look like cotton candy. Of course, we did drink. Just moderately. ;P

Not drunk.

But I was after this! Sparkling sake that Kaori brought for us. :3

This is like the teenager sakura. Not fully bloomed. haha

I somehow love the balance of colors in this.

The sakura "boom" here is nearing its end as green leaves begin to sprout out and the sakura petals fall on the street, cars windshields and children walking to school. Not to mention the kimushi (grotesque bugs from the tree) jumping from the trees. Yuck!

But yeah . . . limited sakura snacks and products are on sale now so I think I'll take advantage of this.

Bye bye, Sakura. Now we have to clean your mess up.