Little girl on shoulder Ueno park

Japan: Cherry blossoms in full bloom at Ueno Park

Date: 30th March 2015

After I visited Akihabara for the second time, I then decided to head to Ueno Park. I had been there a few days ago, but I was disappointed to see that the cherry blossom trees weren’t fully in bloom. I worried I wouldn’t see it fully bloomed before leaving Japan.

Ueno park pathway Japan
At first glance, I assumed things hadn’t improved
Sakura trees Ueno park Tokyo
But as I walked closer, I could see some trees certainly had more flowers this time around
Ueno park shrine evening sun Tokyo
The evening sunlight was quite nice so I went up to the shrine to take some photos
Funny tree shape Ueno park
I wonder if they wrapped this tree’s trunks so that it stays in this shape
Ueno park in the evening
I love the sunlight between 4PM-6 PM, it’s great for photography
Sakura in full bloom Ueno park
As I walked further, the trees here were much bigger and thicker in cherry blossom flowers

Picnics Ueno Park sakura season Tokyo
Scores of people were having picnics near the trees
Drunk Japanese picnic sakura Ueno park
People were drinking and some were already out from drinking too much

Despite the all drinking, there were no signs of trouble. A Japanese girl saw me and excitedly asked for a photo when she saw my DSLR. She was with her male companion (I don’t know if they were a couple) but he seemed hesitant.

Japanese couple Ueno park
I’m blurring their faces because a) the girl had a few drinks, b) I don’t think guy wanted his photo taken by me

Then the girl, with continued (drunken) excitement, asked me where I was from. Then asked me if she could have a taken a photo with me. She grabbed my camera and handed it to the guy, who was shyly apologizing to me for the girl’s behaviour. I spoke in my basic Japanese that it was fine and he didn’t have to apologize.

Bad shots Ueno Park
When trying to show the guy how to use my camera… this is what he took
Mithun with drunk Japanese girl
Ultimately I just set the camera to Auto mode and let the guy take one photo. As you can see despite the blurred face, the girl was pleased 🙂

I said my sayonara to both of them and then moved on.

TV camera Ueno park sakura season
The TV stations were recording footage for broadcasting. Some like Fuji TV were broadcasting live.
White cherry blossom trees Ueno park
I’m really glad I came to Ueno Park
Little girl on shoulder Ueno park
It’s amazing to see the white flowers in bloom
Sakura tree full bloom Ueno park Japan
It looks like snowfall on trees
White cherry blossom tree Ueno park
I swapped lenses for some close ups
White cherry blossom flower Ueno park
It was mostly white sakura at Ueno
Ueno park sakura full bloom crowds
It was very crowded but it’s easy to see why
Ueno park sakura season Tokyo
Cherry blossom season is definitely the best time to visit Japan!
Selfie stick Ueno park sakura
Plenty of selfie sticks of course
Lights Ueno park sakura matsuri
It was time to head back out
Sakura season Ueno park evening Tokyo
Spotted a few pink flowers on the way back

Here is a brief video I took while I was admiring the cherry blossoms at Ueno Park:

Ueno park entrance evening Tokyo
I sat down for a while outside the park and tried to find a liquor store in the area. I had no time for shopping tomorrow so I wanted to pick it up today itself.
Nakacho nightlife Ueno Tokyo Japan
I followed the directions on my phone was led to this street not too far from Ueno Park
Liquor shop Ueno Tokyo
The liquor store I was led to was run by Koreans. The prices were quite low compared to other places and from here I picked up a bottle of Yamazaki whisky.
Nakacho street Ueno Tokyo Japan
This area is called Nakacho and is a major nightlife hub of Ueno
Nakacho nightclubs Tokyo Japan
Saw many salarymen walk down here

I left Ueno and headed back to Space Hostel to drop off the bottle of whisky I purchased. I then headed back out again to go to Rikugien. I wanted to get in this time!


Next few posts in this series:

Japan 2015: Rikugien garden’s weeping cherry blossom tree

Japan 2015: Getting to Hakone; Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise

Japan 2015: Hakone ropeway; onsen at Hotel Green Plaza

Japan 2015: Ōwakudani sulphur springs, views of Mt. Fuji — and last night in Tokyo

Japan 2015: Getting to Narita Airport — and flying an Airbus A380 for the first time

Previous posts in this series:

Japan 2015 – Visiting Akihabara a second time, because why not?

Japan 2015: Harajuku at night — Takeshita Street

Japan 2015: Harajuku on a Sunday – Meiji shrine and Yoyogi Park

Japan 2015: Cherry blossom sightings at Shinjuku Gyoen

Japan 2015: Boat ride to Odaiba; giant Gundam statue at DiverCity Mall

Japan 2015: Cherry blossom celebrations by Sumida River

Japan 2015: Denboin garden, near Sensoji Temple

Japan 2015: Shopping in Shinjuku, and exploring Kabukicho

Japan 2015: Nishi-Shinjuku — views from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building sky deck

Japan 2015: Shibuya – the busiest crossing in the world, and home to a loyal dog

Japan 2015: Ueno Zoo – pandas, a lonely polar bear, and more

Japan 2015: Nakamise street, Senso-ji temple, and Ueno Park sakura at half-bloom

Japan 2015: Nadagiku Shuzo Sake Brewery, leaving Himeji for Tokyo — and my last bullet train ride

Japan 2015: Himeji Castle, and the unexpected air show

Japan 2015: Kyoto Station, and arriving at Himeji by shinkansen

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Monkey Park in Arashiyama

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Gion Corner Cultural Show

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizu Dera temple

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Fushimi Inari-taisha, and climbing to the mountain top

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Nishiki market and Teramachi

Japan 2015: Kyoto – Nishi & Higashi Honganji, Shijo street, and Gion

Japan 2015: Riding a bullet train for the first time, Tokyo to Kyoto

Japan 2015: Walking around Akihabara and Ginza

Japan 2015: Going to Akihabara, and spending way too much time in Yodobashi Akiba

Japan 2015: Landing in Tokyo… and using a communal bath for the first time

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