The main alley in Ueno Park

The cherry blossom season has been at its peak this week in Tokyo and is moving towards its later stages. Three days after Joe reported in the capital, the trees have started losing their petals but are still at their best viewing for the majority of them.

With temperatures and weather conditions looking favorable in the next few days, I expect the trees to remain at their best viewing for a couple more days.

Today I headed to three of Tokyo's famous cherry blossom sightseeing spots to see the state of the blossoms.

Ueno Park

Petals Starting To Fall

My first stop for the day was Ueno Park, one of the city's busiest spot for picnics under the cherry trees. Cherry trees near the entrance of the park had lost quite a few of their petals and their leaves had started to come out, however further down the main alley the cherry trees were full and very picturesque.

Down near Shinobazu Pond, petals had started falling but the blossoms were in a fuller state than the ones near the entrance of the park. The atmosphere remained scenic though and the fallen petals didn't spoil the scenery. Visitors will be able to enjoy the night illuminations until April 7 between 17:00 and 20:00.

Few petals left near the entrance of the park
Further down the alley, most of the cherry trees looked absolutely beautiful
Closeup on a Somei Yoshino branch, revealing that the leaves have come out
Down near Shinobazu Pond
Visitors enjoying the relaxing view of the pond framed by cherry trees
The beautiful alley of cherry trees at Shinobazu Pond
A Beniyutaka variety of cherry tree at full bloom near the pond
The Beniyutaka blossoms looked absolutely beautiful

Shinjuku Gyoen

Petals Starting To Fall

After having enjoyed a nice stroll in Ueno Park, I made my way to Shinjuku Gyoen. I found the cherry trees to have lost less petals than in Ueno Park, and considering the weather forecast for this week I expect the blossoms to last until the middle of next week.

The late blooming varieties of cherry trees widely present in the park had their blossoms either closed or starting to open. This is a great opportunity for end of season visitors to get a chance to enjoy the cherry blossoms.

Spectacular cherry trees on the wide grass fields
Many trees were still at full bloom
One of the main areas of the park
Different cherry blossom color variations
The pond looked extremely scenic
The Ichiyo variety of cherry tree started to bloom
Beautiful views of the blossoms
The pond filled with cherry blossom petals
A late blooming variety of cherry tree (Kanzan Sakura)
The buds of the Kanzan tree were still closed

Showa Memorial Park

Full Bloom

My last stop for the day was the Showa Memorial Park, located 30 minutes west of Shinjuku Station by JR Chuo Line. The cherry trees at the park tend to bloom usually a few days later than central Tokyo, making it a great spot for visitors who missed the peak in the city center. I was happy to report that compared to the first two spots I had visited the blossoms seemed to be in full bloom with only a small amount of petals falling. I expect the blossoms to be at their best viewing until the middle of next week.

A lot of people waiting in line to visit the park
Explosion of colors
A perfect day to ride one of the rental bicycles
The park's sakura tunnel looked at its best
Hanami goers enjoying the views of the beautiful petals
The bicycle ride through the park was very enjoyable
A nice branch full of blossoms
The Cherry Blossom Garden was the highlight of my day
Flowers and cherry blossoms
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