So we are actually still on day two, getting a bit behind here, but the days are jammed packed and so little time to do anything else.

So after our Sushi lunch we headed towards the Imperial Palace, one of the best sites in Tokyo for Cherry Blossom viewing. As with any blossom, the season is hit and miss and one torrential down pour or gale force winds, and they are gone! But we were  in luck, they were in full bloom and so along with half of Tokyo we joined in the shuffle around the lake to enjoy this absolutely magnificent sight.

In Tokyo, the best viewing area is the Ueno Sakura Matsuri which is the park by the lake. During the Cherry Blssom festival the park is lit with over a 1,000 lanterns for nighttime viewing. The park expects several hundred thousand visitors daily, hence the shuffling . There are over 600 trees in this park alone.

Throughout Japan, there are cherry trees at this time of year and depending on your location the blooming time will vary. For example in the mountainous region it will be later than in Tokyo. There are over one hundred varieties of cherry trees, ranging from white to pale pink to dark pink and even to yellow and green. Most of them have five petals but some have 10 or even twenty. One of the most beautiful is the Shiarezakura, the weeping cherry. Also in bloom at this time, of course are plenty of other spring flowers , but as is usual , blossom time brings rain and wind! After all they are not just there for our enjoyment!