Thank you, 1950Greg. I think the Imperial Palace is the best cherry-viewing site in Tokyo as far as I saw. As the park, Shinjuku Gyoen Park is the best cherry-viewing park in Tokyo. (I’m sorry but I haven’t post pictures of Shinjuku Gyoen in full bloom.) By the way, on May 5, my sister went to Kakunodate in Tohoku region (about 2 hour ride of bullet train to the north-east direction from Tokyo). In Kakunodate some old Samurai Houses are kept nicely. Some of them are 250 to 300 years old. Samurai Houses’ area is also famous for Sidare-zakura. This year Sidare-zakuras there became full bloom on May 3. But when my sister visited on May 5, some of them started to fall and the best time was over in 2 days due to the sudden hot change of the weather. (Japan is having unusual spring. We had cold April and from the beginning of May, temperature started to rise and on the 5th of May the highest temperature in Tokyo was 27.4 and on the 6th, 27.8. In Kyoto and some inner parts temperature went up over 30 degrees.) She sent me a picture of Somei-yoshinos on the bank of Hinokinai River in Kakunodate. In 1936 about 400 Somei-yoshinos were planted to commemorate the birth of the crown prince in those days. (Now he is the emperor) So those cherries are 74 years old now! Most of them are still in very good condition, I believe.
Kamakura on April 9, 2010 On Friday, April 9, 2010, I visited Kamakura to see cherries. I had visited Kamakura many times, but I hadn’t been there when cherries bloomed. It was rather disappointed trip. First of all, the weather wasn’t as good as the forecast said. Also cherries in Kamakura were already finishing. There weren’t as many cherries as I expected. And Somei-yoshinos in Kamakura weren’t as big as the ones at the center part of Tokyo. 2 rows of Somei-yoshino in front of the Turugaoka Shrine are very famous. But they looked rather small and looked not very healthy. I think Kamakura is too near to the sea and they were planted on the mount 50cm higher than the road. They can’t spread roots freely. I saw witches’ broom on Somei-yoshino perhaps first time after I came back to Japan. Kamakura is a hilly place. There might be more rain there. Bamboo shoots came out from the ground. But Kamakura is a wonderful place to see wild cherries on the mountains (hills?). There grow not only Yama-zakura but Ohshima-zakura wildly. I believe Kamakura locates in a very limited area where wild Oshima grows. So if you can have hiking, in the woods Kamakura is a good place to see cherries. There are some pendulas(mostly Yae-beni-shidare), there. Autumnalis I saw last November was blooming. I felt spring flowers are bigger than Autumn flowers. But I’m not sure. Spring flowers Autumn flowers There are 3 kinds of unknown cherries.
Cherrie in Chichibu on April 10, No.2Then I went to Nagatoro Station. Unfortunately it became cloudy then. Hodo-san shrine locates about 10 minutes walk from the station and there is a famous road lined with Somei-yoshino to the shrine. They were very nice, but I saw a few witches' broom there. There were some Yama-zakuras and Shidare-zakuras blooming near the shrine. There is a ropeway to the top of Mt. Hodo (just 497 meter) and we climbed to the top. There Somei-yoshinos were not blooming yet. But 1 Ko-higan (or Edo-higan) and 1 Edo-higan were blooming there. There were 2 Edo-higans (?) on the slope. Chichibu is known as a site of wild Edo-higans. Flower sizes of 2 trees were different. But I think they belong to the same cultivar. Mt. Hoto is famous for winter blooming cherries (Autumnalis). They were having spring flowers.
Cherries in Chichibu on April 10, No.1 On April 10, 2010, I visited Chichibu to see Shidare-zakura for the first time after I came back to Japan. In Tokyo Somei-yoshino had already finished and because of my Achilles’ tendon, I missed to see Shidare-zakura which bloomed same time or before Somei-yoshino. I checked Web and found Shidare-zakura still blooming in Chichibu. Chichibu locates northeast of Tokyo, about 2-hour train ride. Chichibu is a hilly country side area. There is a famous river gorge, called Nagatoro on Arakawa River. First we visited Houzen-ji Temple near Nogami station. It is famous for Shidare-zakura. On the way to the temple, I saw Kanhi-zakura and Yoko which finished before Somei-yoshino in Tokyo were still blooming. There were a lot of Shidare-zakuras blooming in Houzen-ji. Shidare-zakura is a weeping variety of Edo-higan. It is a whiter variety of Pendula (Beni-shidare) in Vancouver. Edo is an old name of Tokyo and higan means the seven days around equinox. So Edo-higan and Shidare-zakura bloom around spring equinox in Tokyo. about a week before Somei-yoshino blooms. Edo-higan has typical calyxes which swollen in the middle like beads are inside. It is said to be a parental or a grand-parental cherry of Somei-yoshino. It blooms before leaves come out. There is 1 Yoko blooming in the temple. Near the temple there is a bush of unknown cherries. They might be Edo-higan or Kohigan or something else.
Cherry Flower in August On the afternoon of August 24, 2010, I noticed my Bonsai Autumnalis had a small green flower. This year we are having unbelievably hot and dry summer in Tokyo. In August there is only one day when the highest temperature didn’t reach 30 degrees and also one day the lowest went down below 25 degrees. Average highest temperature of the day is 33.3 and one day it reached 37.2 in the central part of Tokyo and 38.1 in the inner suburb where my in-laws live. (I was there that day!) But cherry trees are very healthy and leaves are in beautiful condition. In wet summer sometimes cherry leaves fall down in August before autumn comes. But this year every tree keeps healthy green leaves. But my Bonsais in my very small veranda where the vent of the air-conditioning locates lost leaves in July and new leaves started to grow a few days ago. Today I can also see more green things like buds. This Autumnalis had a small flower on July 11, 2010. At that time leaves are still all right but I found some bites on the leaves. I checked thoroughly but I couldn’t find any insect on and under leaves. But some insects were continuing eating. A few days later I finally found a worm which mimics a twig and took it away. But the tree continued losing leaves. I didn’t post but I bought this Autumnalis in April. It had bigger pink flowers in Spring. It was beautiful with my small Asahiyama. But after flowers finished, no leaves came out from the small Asahiyama and it died out. I bought another Asahiyama but it is not in good condition, either. New Arashiyama now
I’m sorry to post now, but I went to Nikko on April 26, 2010. Nikko is more famous for autumn color. There aren’t so many cherry trees (not many Somei-Yoshinos). But there are several very old cherry trees. There are 3 old Shidare-zakuras. Flowers of Shidare-zakura are very small. One locates in a private garden is 370 years old and relatively good condition. One at the local shrine is 350 years old. One in another private garden is said to be about 500 years old. Unfortunately the main trunk is broken and looks cruel but it still bloom in spring.
Autumn cherries are in bloom! Autumnalis must had started blooming in October, but I didn’t have a chance to visit them. Also I hoped to start new autumn cherry pages with beautiful pictures of Autumnalis at the new locations in Tokyo area. But weather wasn’t good in October and I couldn’t find any new autumn cherry trees. November 3 (a national holiday in Japan) was a beautiful day; I decided to visit new locations I found in internet. I chose Jindai Botanical Garden (you can see the video down the most of the link page.English subtittles are on the video.) and Nogawa Park because there are bus loots from same railroad station. First I visited Jindai Botanical garden. There autumn roses were full bloom and chrysanthemum show was on. Cosmoses(C. bipinnatus) were still blooming. But there was only 1 Autumnalis and 1 Fuyu-zakura there and both were not in full bloom. It was disappinting. Autumnalis Fuyu-zakura But there was a board which showed how to identify autumn cherries. It will help me a lot. It said; Fuyu-zakura: 5 petals Autumnalis: 16 ~ 18 petals Kobuku-zakura 20 ~ 40 petals Then I visited Nogawa Park. Unfortunately before I arrived there, weather changed and got darker. Nogawa Park is a large local park which has nothing special but there I found 10 Autumnalis and 6 Kobuku-zakura in a same location. They are in good condition. Autumnalises(front) and Kobuku-zakura (back) Autumunalis (It has a long pistil.) Kobuku-zakura(It might have 1 to 5 pistils.) I notice Autumnalis trees are much smaller than Kobuku-zakura trees. They might be younger but people make Bonsai using Autumnalis, so it might be their character. Gakken Book of Flowering Cherries in Japan says Autumnalis is a hybrid between Mame-zakura and Edo-higan. Mame-zakura is a small short cherry tree which usually grows less than 2 meter. Also Kobuku-zakura is whiter than Autumnalis. In other part of the park I found 1 small cherry tree had only 1 flower. It must be kind of crazy bloom. It looked like a kind of hybrid Mame-zakura like Okame or Soshun-zakura.
New Spring Cherry Season Has Started! Kan-zakura in Koishikawa Botanical Garden started blooming. On January 30, it was between 10 to 20 % blooming. Kan-zakura there is a rather large tree of about 5-meter high. But Yama-zakura tree next to it is much taller than Kan-zakura. Daffodils are blooming at the foot of Yama-zakura. When I visited there on January 9, I found just a few flowers of Kan-zakura open. But it took more than half month till it became 10 to 20 % bloom. Kan-zakura is the first spring-flowering cherry which starts blooming soon after New Year. It blooms once a year. Autumn and winter blooming cherries like Autumnalis, Fuyu-zakura and Kobuku-zakura bloom twice (Spring & autumn or more) in Japan. January 9 :::::::::::::::::: ::::::January 18:::::::::::::::::::::::::::January 25 Himaraya-zakura (Himalayan cherry) which bloomed in December now has young leaves and small green fruits. We are having a little colder winter than normal year in Tokyo. Some books write Himaraya-zakura can’t survive winter in Tokyo. But I think it is not true. On December 18, Himaraya-zakura was blooming. But peak bloom had been over then. Now it is a time for Ume (P. Mume or Japanese Apricot) and Camellia. Umes are 30 % bloom and some camellias are in full bloom. Ro-bai (Chimonanthus praecox) was in full bloom on January 9 but it finished blooming now. Camellias :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Ro-bai on January 9
East Garden of Imperial Palace On February 1,2011, I visited the East Garden of the Imperial Palace for the first time for I read a blog which said Kan-zakura there started blooming. It was a beautiful day and the garden was really beautiful. But 2 Kan-zakuras there weren’t old enough and not blooming so much. There are Fuyu-zakura and Jugatu-zakura next to Kan-zakuras. Also there is one Jugatu-zakura near the Ote-mon Gate. They were almost finishing. ::::::Fuyu-zakura ::::::::::::::::Jugatsu-zakura On Tensyudai donjon Base, there is an old Oshima-zakura tree in wonderful shape. Also I found there were more than 30 kinds of cherries in the East Garden. I haven’t seen some of them like Usuge-yama-zakura (Slightly haired Yama-zakura) and some like Nishinomiya-Gongendaira-zakura, I hadn’t even heard of. I’m looking forward to see them. On Ume-mi-zaka Slope, there are Ume (P. Mume) trees were blooming. There is a Japanese style Garden and a tea house in the East Garden. Then I visited the Kitanomaru Garden next to the East Garden. There were 1 Kan-zakura and 1 Kawadu-zakura started blooming. But they are also rather small trees. And unfortunately Kan-zakura tree was in the shade.
Atami-zakura in Atami On February 2, I visited Atami to see Atami-zakura (P. × Kanzakura Makino(cv. Atamizakura). Atami-zakura is said to be the first blooming cherry on Honsyu Island, the main island of Japan. It is said to be a kind of Kan-zakura and seen only in Atami Area. Usually Atami-zakura becomes full bloom at the ent of January or the beginning of February. Atami locates about 100 Kilometres South-West of Tokyo and at the entrance of the Izu Peninsula, holiday area from Tokyo. Because of easy access, in old days Atami was a very popular tourist spot with a lot of hotels and inns. It was famous for hot springs and beautiful sea and Mountains. But nowadays it is too near for 2-day trips (only about 40 minutes ride of the bullet train or 109 minutes even by Local train) and many accommodations and shops and restaurants became old. Atami lost its old fame. Now the City of Atami is trying to attract cherry lovers before real cherry season starts using Atami-zakura as Kawazu, a small town on Izu peninsula, got a great success with Kawazu-zakura. The first Atami-cherries I saw located at the bus terminal by the Atami station. They really looked like Kan-zakura and I didn’t see so much difference. But the buds might look more like O-kan-zakura. The flowers might be just a bit bigger and less flowers to an arrangement. So they might open flatter than usual Kan-zakura.(Kan-zakura has a lots of buds together. So they can’t open properly. Also they don’t open at a time. Some flowers bloom after nearby flowers finish.) Even scientists aren’t sure Atami-zakura is a separate species or Kan-zakura changed by the mild climate of Atami. I’m not sure it is the same as Atami-hayazaki (Atami early-blooming) on “Flowering Cherries of Japan, New Editon†Then I saw 2 trees near the sea. They are said to be the earliest blooming Atami-zakura in the city. They are about 60 % blooming, just a bit earlier than Kan-zakura in Tokyo. The city made the nice walking track by the sea and also planted O-kan-zakuras. They will bloom at the end of February. There are a lot of young trees planted recently. They have a few flowers and not worth viewing yet. The main area on the cherry viewing map of Atami is a narrow river with Atami-zakuras on both sides. It said there were 42 Atami-zakuras there. But they were disappointing. Most of them aren’t healthy condition. They looked like completely different. (Or they might be different cherry? But there aren't so many cherries blooming at this time of the year.) Also the city was doing construction work of the pavement. It wasn’t good sight to see. I think cherries were planted too close to the river and roots were covered too much by the paver stones. Also mud in lower area of Atami might include too much salty water. There are many grown-up Kan-zakuras in other areas. Some of them were blooming nicly. But they aren’t as big as Koishikawa Botanical Garden’s or Shinjuku Gyoen’s. Atami is famous for Ume (P. Mume), too. There is an Ume-Garden. They were 40 % blooming. The cherry viewing map said there were some Atami-zakuras at Himegasawa Park at the side of the mountain. It said the park was high up so cherries bloom much later. But I visited there and found even Atami-zakura hasn’t bloomed yet. Overall, the city of Atami has a long way to go. Now these Atami-zakuras are good enough for the travellers who see them by chance, but not beautiful enough to attract people to visit Atami to see them. At least, they have a lot of Atami-zakuras there and are trying to plant more. They are planting O-kan-zakura, too. Because of the climate near the mountains and the sea, they have many difficulties for keeping trees healthy and growing well. I hope they can get great success. I’d like to see Atami after 10 years.
Early spring in Shinjuku-gyoen Park On February 10, 2011, I visited Shinjuku-gyoen Park to see Kan-zakuras. There are several Kan-zakuras there and one near the entrance was almost full bloom. Others were on different stages of blooming. 2 Kawazu-zakuras at the Ume (P. Mume) garden started to bloom and other one was not yet. Daffodils were at the peak bloom under Ume and Somei-yoshino trees. Ro-bai (Chimonanthus praecox) was blooming beautivully. Winter flowers of Jugatu-zakura(Autumnalis) and Kobuku-zakura there were finishing.
February 16, 2011 was a beautiful day and I visited Koishikawa Botanical Garden again. Kan-zakura was full bloom or beyond full bloom. Some flowers dropped petals but new flowers were blooming. A lot of Mejiros (Japanese white eyes), small green birds with white mark around the eyes, came to the tree for nectar. Kawazu-zakura on Harima-zaka slope is blooming now. They started blooming with some old leaves on branches. Now we can see new green parts with flowers.
It’s really nice to see such a wonderful display of cherry blossoms. The first time i learned about cherry blossoms is on Heroes when Hiro time warped to a certain place where there are lots of such flowers. I plan to visit Japan someday but i have to do some more research so i could chance upon the season of cherry blossoms. I have a friend who was very unfortunate and missed on the blossom.
A massive earhquake just before cherry season At 2:46 PM on Friday, March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake hit wide areas of North-east Japan. It was measured magnitude 9.0 and it was the most destructive natural disaster in Japan's history. Soon after the earthquake, the largest Tsunamis in Japanese history attacked the North-east Shore of the main Island of Japan. Some of then were higher than the four story building. The disaster-stricken areas reach 400 kilo in length and 100 kilo in width. 10 days has passed but we don’t know how big the total damage amounts. The National Police Agency said that as of Sunday, March 19th, night, more than 8,400 people had been confirmed dead and nearly 13,000 were reported missing. More than 250,000 people evacuated from their home and suffering the shortage of food, medicines, blankets, kerosene for the warmth and petrol for the cars. Tsunami also caused the very serious damages to Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant and now it is very dangerous condition. We don’t know what might happen. Even in Tokyo area aftershocks of the earthquake continue day and night. We are short of electricity and there are scheduled blackouts in the suburbs. I live at the center part of Tokyo. So there are no blackouts but stations and shops are so dark and many train and subway schedules were cut. Life in East part of Japan has changed since the earthquake. The earthquake this time is the largest earthquake in at least 1000 years. Japan is an island country which lies between latitudes 24° and 46°N, and longitudes 122° and 146°E. So we have very long beautiful costal lines. Also Japan locates at the crossing of the Philippine Sea Plate , Amurian Plate and Okinawa Plate. So we had a lot of natural disasters like earthquakes, Tsunamis and volcanic explosions. But those geographic characters made Japanese culture and Japanese nature. Japan has a very wide variety of plants and flowers. We have many kinds of wild cherries and a lot of cultivated cherries. There are lots of famous cherries like Takizakura in Miharu, Abukuma Cherry Corridor and Hanami-yama in Fukushima prefecture which is suffering from the earthquake, the tsunamis and the nuclear plants. (I believe those cherries locates rather inland and out of reach of Tsunamis) The earthquake and Tsunamis this time is the largest in the history. But Japanese have survived from those natural disasters and ruins of the world War Ⅱ and atomic bombs. Now we are struggling not only in the disaster but also economical and political situation and the graying of Japanese population. Our recovery will take years and decades. But I believe this disaster becomes a kind of shock therapy and Japan can revive and change into the better nation through this natural disaster.
Kawazu-zakura in Kawazu and Minami Izu Town No.3 Then I went back to Kawazu station. The weather was getting better and there were many street stalls and a lot of people there. Kawazu-zakuras there were very beautiful but smaller than Minami Izu Town. They were carefully pruned not to disturb each other. There were several street stalls where young Kawazu-zakura tree were sold. I think 1 year-old plants of 1 to 2 meter high were 1000 yen to 1500 yen (100yen≒CA$82.9). I think that is a reason many private houses in the area have Kawazu-zakura in their garden, Then I walked to the original tree of Kawazu-zakura. It is now about 10 Meter high and healthy looking. But it was just a little beyond peak bloom. It was found in 1950s and planted at the private garden in Kawazu. On my way back to the station I found a small cherry tree with very unique flowers at the gate of the local Library. I havent seen any cherries like this. We can see stamens changed into flagy shape in almost every flower. Is that vexillate filaments or staminodes? I dont know. This year spring is rather slow at this moment. In 2007 I visited Kawazu on February 27. At that time most of Kawazu-zakuras were beyond peak bloom. At that time I visited the park on Nesugata mountain and found white cherry flowers (the plate said Shirayuki) and pale pink cherries like O-kan-zakura was beautiful there. I also visited there this time but it was no use. Kawazu-zakura and Kan-zakura finished and Sirayuki and O-kan-zakura were not yet. Pictures of Frbruary 26, 2011 and February 27,2011 Pictures of March 3,2011 There are lines of O-kan-zakuras near Izu-Kogen station.. But they were not yet and I didnt have time to drop there. I hoped to visit there again in 2 weeks. Also I hoped to visit Oshima Island this spring. But I couldnt visit because of the earthquake.
Kawazu-zakura in Kawazu and Minami-izu Town on March 3, 2011 No2 Kawazu-zakura in Minami Izu Town was almost peak bloom. I walked along the river. Kawazu-zakura was planted both side of the river. Kawazu-zakura trees there were bigger than my memory of Kawazu-zakura in Kawazu or some in Tokyo. They were planted at longer intervals than in Kawazu. They extended branches along the river band and looked free and very healthy. In some places rape blossoms made beautiful contrast with Kawazu-zakura. It took more than 30 minutes to walk through cherry planted area. There are some hot springs there, too. Because of weather there weren’t many people there. Then I walked to a field of rape blossoms along the river. After lines of Kawazu-zakura finished, other cherry trees were planted. (But not all the way)They will bloom after Kawazu-zakura season finishes. I found a bird I haven’t seen there near the river. After 20 minutes I arrived at a field of rape blossoms. It was wide and beautiful. Other kind of cherries were planted from there to the lower parts of river. Local man at the parking said they were Somei-yoshinos and blooms almost same time as Somei-yoshinos in Tokyo. But the bark of the trees were whiter than Somei-yoshino I know. They are young trees so the bark might different looking.(I don't know)
Kawazu-zakuras in Kawazu( Izu Penunsula) & Minami-Izu Town No.1 On March 3, 2011, I visited Minami-Izu Town and Kawazu to see Kawazu-zakura. Both locates near the tip of Izu Peninsula. Now Kawazu is a very popular destination of pre-cherry-viewing season. Kawazu-zakura was found in 1950s in Kawazu. It becomes in full bloom at the end of February. The flower has 5 beautiful bright pink petals and it is a bit bigger than Kan-zakura. (Some books say Kawazu-zakura has serrated sepals. But what I took in Minami Iza wasn't so. I don't know it really is Kawazu-zakura. I didn't know those character. So I didn't take photos of many trees there. ) Kawazu-zakura is said to be a hybrid of Kan-hi-zakura and Oshima-zakura. It was a beautiful morning around my place in Tokyo on March 3, so I decided to visit there. First I headed for Shimoda to take a bus to Minami Izu Town. It took about 2 and a half hours even using express train to Shimoda. When I arrived at Shimoda, the weather changed and it was drizzling there. Before I arrive Minami Izu, it stopped raining. But it didn’t become beautiful blue sky good for pictures.
Koishikawa Botanical Garden on March 13, 2011 and March 19,2011 On March 11, 2011, I visited Koishikawa Botanical Garden to see early cherries . But this year, it’s very cold and early cherries are a bit slow. Temperature stays low like winter even though sunshine became spring one. Han-hi-zakura, Cerasus campanulata, was in full bloom. Many birds came to take nectars. O-kan-zakuras, which was called “Angyo-kan-hi” in Koishikawa Botanical Garden and Soshun-zakuras were Just started to bloom. Last year I visited there on March 11,2010 and found both blooming about 70 %. Instead Ume (P. Mume), especially weeping types. were very beautiful there. I visited there again on March 19, 2011. O-Kan-zakuras were beautiful. But there were 3 beautiful green parrots doing naughty works. They continued to pick flowers at a speed of 1 flower less than 2 seconds. Mother and daughters were waiting to get them. They were not native birds. They were abandoned or run away and survived in Tokyo. Japanese birds drink nectars and eat petals and ruin cherries but those parrots give greater damages. 2 Sosyun-zakura , quite similar to Okame, I think, were full bloom. 1 tree got taller and 1 didn’t change so much from last year. Taller one has paler flowers which were looking downwards. And petals might be narrower. Shorter one has dense flowers. They are a bit darker pink and round impression. Kanzaki-Oshima just started to bloom. Kanzaki-Ohima is a early blooming type of Oshima-zakura. It has large white flowers almost together with green leaves. Camellias were blooming beautiful. In Japan camellias are thought to be winter flowers but they became fine condition in spring sunlight. Purple Rhododendrons were started to bloom.
Declaration of Somei-yoshino started blooming in Tokyo Yesterday, March 28, 2011, the Meteorological Agency of Japan declared the blooming of Somei-yoshino in Tokyo. The reference Somei-yoshino tree at Yasukuni Shrine near Imperial Palace had more than 5 flowers on March 28. It was 6 days later than last year and it is the average blooming day. The Weather Map (one of the weather forecasting company) forecast the peak bloom will be April 8.They will be in full bloom after 1 week. Please see Cherry Blossom Report 2011 Last year I noticed the Somei-yoshinos I can see from my window started blooming on the same day the Meteorological Agency declared blooming. But this year they havent bloomed yet today. I went out and look around but I didnt notice any Somei-yoshino blooming. But it became quite warm Today(March 29). So perhaps I will notice blooming tomorrow (March 30, 2011) Now we are really waiting the blooming of Somei-yoshino. Because it means the weather changed and real spring started. This year most of the Cherry Blossom Festivals and Cherry Illuminations were cancelled. After the East Japan Earthquake and the Tsunami, the evacuees and the victims are suffering the coldness very much. Even the residents of Tokyo and seven neighbouring prefectures are suffering shortages of electricity. The problems of Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant wont be solved in short time. But the arrive of the spring weather will help us greatly and cherries will cheer up our sprits a lot.
Somei-yoshinos in Tokyo No.1Today is April 19, 2011 in Tokyo. Somei-yoshinos here had totally finished. Now it became warm and real spring came to Tokyo. Fresh new green leaves are beautiful. I caught cold and I couldn't have a time to post during Somei-yoshino season. Also I couldn't go out to any special site for Somei-yoshino this year, but I saw a lot of Somei-yoshinos in my daily life and took pictures. I'll post them today. On March 28, the Meteorological Agency of Japan declared the blooming of Somei-yoshino in Tokyo this year. But I didn't notice any Somei-yoshinos blooming that day. This year coldness like winter stayed on the Main Island of Japan for longer time and spring was slow. On March 30, I noticed some flowers blooming on the Somei-yoshino I can see from my window. On the same day, I visited Koishikawa Korakuen Park. There Sidare-zakuras had started blooming. But Somei-yoshinos were not yet. I saw two beautiful cherries started blooming. One was Edo-higan. But I couldn’t identify the other one. I’m not sure it was Somei-yoshino or not. It was about 30 % blooming. The tree was too high. I could take pictures of flowers but I couldn’t see by my eyes. I needed parrots to drop flowers from high above. On April 2, I visited Koishikawa Botanic Garden. There Somei-yoshinos were about 20 % blooming. On April 4, I visited in-law’s house. There is Shakujii River near there. Somei-yoshinos were about 20 to 40 % blooming there. April 5 was also a beautiful day like the day before. But from that day temperature went up and more flowers bloomed. Somei-yoshino around Shakujii River became about 60 % blooming until the evening. Some trees were almost full bloom. Some were still not yet. On April 7, I visited Koishikawa botanical Garden. There Somei-yoshinos there became full bloom.
Somei-yoshinos in Tokyo No.2On April 9, I visited Yaho for my chamber music rehearsal. There were beautiful tunnels of Somei-yoshinos. Unfortunately the weather was not good and there wasn’t Cherry Festival this year. I didn’t go around. But Somei-yoshinos there were very healthy and beautiful. April 10 became a beautiful Sunday with full bloom Somei-yoshinos. There were a lot of people in Koishikawa Botanical Garden. Many were having lunch under the cherry trees. There is one unique cherry which is a bit different from Somei-yoshino. There is no name on it. Somei-yoshinos on Harima-zaka Road were beautiful. Some of them already losing petals and green leaves came out. On April 12, I visited Shinjuku-gyoen Park. Somei-yoshinos were beyond peak bloom but still very beautiful there. (It was a beautiful day and I took most beautiful pictures of this spring. But somohow I can't attach here??? I'll try after I submit once.) There are 2 Akebonos in the park. One was beautiful and 1 was beyond peak. There were a lot of other cherries were blooming. But double cherries which started blooming before Somei-yoshino finished last year hadn't started yet. On April 14, I visited Koishikawa Botanical Garden again. Somei-yoshinos were finishing. Petals were on the ground and they were also beautiful. From April 14, it became very warm. The temperature got over 20 degrees for 3 days. It was like early summer weather on April 16. The lowest temperature in Tokyo was 16.4 and the highest was 24.6 degrees. It quickened the finish of Somei-yoshino. After April 18 it became normal Spring weather. Now it is time for double cherries and others.