花見 千鳥ヶ淵・上野公園－cherry blossom viewing Chidorigahuchi and Ueno Park (Mar.2019-No.14）

花見　千鳥ヶ淵・上野公園－cherry blossom viewing Chidorigahuchi and Ueno Park

There are many cherry blossom viewing places all over Japan. Japanese people love flowers in all seasons. Above all cherry blossoms have been loved for a long while. The  cherry blossom viewing is said to be begun by court aristocrats in the Nara period(8th century). In the Heian period (9th century) a famous poet, Ariwara-no-Narihira made a tanka poem of cherry blossom. Tanka poem is a short Japanese poem of 31 syllables, arranged in lines of 5-7-5-7 and 7 syallables. The poem is as follow; If there were not cherry blossoms at all in the world, we could live peacefully in spring time. That is why almost Japanese people become crazy in the season of cherry blossoms, concerned the cherry blossom front called Sakura Zensen from south to north of Japan.

Chidorigahuchi Park and Ryokudo (literally means green road) is located near the Imperial Palace. And Ueno Park is located near Ueno Station of JR line. Both are very famous cherry blossom spots in Tokyo.  If you go there in late March or early April, you will be absolutely surprised at large number of people coming to see cherry blossoms, containing non Japanese people. And you must not believe people drink happily under cherry trees during daytime in the public park. Some wore each folk costume and were dancing in a congested path. Peace and safetyis wonderful!!

And cherry blossoms will soon fall within about two weeks. It is also appeal to the sensibility of Japanese people. Japanese like transient, graceful and beautiful things. The falling of cherry blossoms express one of ideal ways of life.

Chidorigahuchi Rokudo at 5:50p.m.   This day was a little chilly.  only halfway to full bloom

 There were many people and some foods stands in Ueno Park.  Young foreign women were dancing on the path.   almost full bloom