HANAMI

Bonenkai was about three months ago - so it's almost time to go crazy and wild and drink again with friends in Japan. The season of cherry blossoms is coming up and that might be the best excuse to celebrate!

The word "Hanami" literally means "to watch / view flowers" but it also means to drink and have a party underneath the sakura (cherry blossoms) trees and not any other flower. Some people like to just take a walk or take pictures of the cherry blossoms too, but most people like to party instead.

Most popular place to party in tokyo is known to be Ueno Park. The whole park will be filled with cherry blossoms and loud partiers. They will have food stands in the park as well. So if you and your friends are planning to go crazy, then wild Ueno is the place to be! Also since you are at Shinobazu Lake, you can enjoy the sakura from boats too.

Another place where you can enjoy hanami is Inokashira Park in Musashino City. Many University students have their hanami party here since there are many Universities near this area. The park has a pond in the center and you can enjoy viewing the sakura trees surrounding the pond from pedal boats as well - just as it is in Ueno.

A different way of enjoying sakura is by taking a walk and watching these beautiful flowers. Some major places where people frequent are by the Meguro River and by the Sumida River.

Meguro River
Get off the train at Meguro or Naka Meguro station and take a walk down by the riverside. There are a remarkable numbers of cherry blossoms. The best time period to see the blossoms is around noon as the sunlight highlights the color of the flowers. Another good time are the weekends during the hanami period; but because it gets very crowded, it might be best to just take a walk spontaneously instead of going on the weekends when there are many people.

Sumida River
Get off at the JR or subway line at Asakusa or Asakusabashi station and take a walk down by the Sumida River. The river boat starting from Hamamatsucho is also very popular during this season. There are some spots where many homeless people live by the Sumida River, but in general, these homeless people won't be bothering you. The cherry blossoms by the river are very beautiful, so it is worth going there. 'Tis the season of sakura and hanami, so gather your friends and family and have a nice day outside in the park. Eat, talk, and have some drinks outside with your loved ones!