You all know this fella
godzilla and he's on fire
Just behind this lightning monster from the sea
is a symbol of beauty
A SAKURA tree
Yes
This is central tokyo's Yurakucho area and this tree is a great place for
businessmen and businesswomen
passed by to appreciate spring near the office
Just stay away from that creature on the other side
Let's mellow out a bit at Shinjuku-Gyoen National garden
It's a 200yen entry to this park located just 10 minutes on
foot from Shinjuku Station
Shinjuku-Gyoen has some the best spots to sit and relax
The grass is cut close and is soft and clean
perfect to laze around on a spring afternoon under the white blossoms
It's also a place for young couples in love
They're everywhere showing their affection
Shinjuku-Gyoen also has an amazing variety of cherry blossoms
In Japan there are over 200 cultivars of SAKURA trees
The SOMEI-YOSHINO is the most popular in Japan with its snow white blossoms
and it stands out with all the other varieties
The colors of the blossoms and the leaves vary
Many are labeled and on display here
Viewing [Tree]SAKURA night
is another way to appreciate the Sakura beauty and the Meguro River is
one of Tokyo's most popular destination
when the Sun Goes Down
The contrast between the dark sky and the illuminated
blossoms is striking
It appears as thpugh snow has fallen
and the trees are covered in white like a quiet winter evening
But it's just an illusion
Wandering the streets at night
along the Meguro River
is almost like walking among the clouds
It's magical experience
Across Tokyo Bay is Odaiba
where visitors get some of the best views of the city
In the spring you can add the cherry blossoms to that view
It's a treat you only get for about a week each year
With the blossoms, the skyline is just a little bit prettier than usual
Ueno Park is definitely the place to be after hours for night HANAMI goers
The park is fit with red lanterns that help accentuate
the blossoms above
The cherry blossoms truly fit this historic area Tokyo
and all urban distractions are absorbed by the beauty of the white flowers
from the SOMEI-YOSHINO SAKURA trees
The park is usually quite crowded
and it's hard to get a seat under the trees here
Low-level company workers
usually stake out a spot
early in the morning and are joined in the evening by the rest of the company
SAKURA have the power to bring a
corporate team together
Even the mighty salary man
going up I'm not immune to its beauty
It's worth noting help clean the parkside in tokyo
HANAMI goers know the drill
Separate your trash
and leave nothing behind
Beautiful when you come
Beautiful when you leave
That's the rule
The Sakura season is a time when many people go to Famous parks to picnic
underneath the cherry blossoms
But if you really wanna feel close to nature and connect with the SAKURA tree
I recommend going to your local park or somewhere near your house
Your hotel or your work
I asked a lot of my Japanese friends
Where is your favorites SAKURA tree?
and a lot of them told me
Right near their house or their office
Someplace where they go and they see the tree often.
It's quite personal to them
This is my favorite tree in my local park
At night when most of the hanami goers head home
I like to come out here with my light and really take a closer look
Take a step back and look at the whole tree
The concept of" MONONOAWARE "
Runs very deep with Japanese
It's essentially a deep feeling or sensitivity to something
A feeling the one that resonates with ANIME and Manga lovers
for example
Its deeply rooted in the Buddhist notion of impermanence
existence is in a constant state
of flux
This awareness heightens the appreciation of beauty
and brings on a great sadness when they pass
To know one feel the true beauty of the [Tree]SAKURA
like the japanese do
is to know Japan deep to its core
One of the world's largest urban centres and the heart of japan's economy and
politics
Tokyo
Even for just a week
shifts a little closer to the beauty of the natural world
It's definitely in time to be in the city