1 post tagged “2007spring”
What, to you, is the first sign of spring? Have you seen it yet?
Submitted by Spy.
Walking to the station under a clear blue sky with the sun shining warm and bright and that particular strong breeze whooshing along, not too cool, not too warm. It's one of those cereal-ad moments in life. Unfortunately we're heading into autumn down here, so no grinning like an idiot feeeling the breeze on my skin for me just yet.
There were plum blossoms in February in Japan, followed by the most eagerly-awaited cherry blossoms in March. Now that was somehing to see. Trees that looked dead a few weeks ago start to show little leaves, then buds, then just explode into masses of pink, white and even light purple.
Parks take on an air of festivity, where families and couples stroll around the parks on weekends, old men and women whip out their tripods and take endless floral portraits, and office people of all ages get tanked and sexually harrass their colleagues under the blossoms for one day a year. If you're lucky you might catch the veritable orgies of young men discovering their sexual orientation in Yoyogi Park of a Sunday, or get hit in the head by some meaty foreigner's football while clouds of dust get into your eyes and your food.
The parks you paid to get into were the best. Shinkjuku Gyoen actually has grass, and when you walk along the pathways on a windy day, the trees above gently shower you with soft pink petals.