Ueno Park

The sakura (cherry blossoms) in Ueno Park.

Today I went to Ueno Park to see the last of the cherry blossoms. It was probably the most perfect day to go, with temperatures up and the skies clear. While the picture doesn't describe the beauty of it all, it at least gets the point across. There are temples hidden here and there between the trees and food vendors, as well as partying groups of people sitting on tarps, drinking beer and eating lots of nice smelling food. There is also a zoo in Ueno, and I got to see among many, polar bears, penguins, elephants, gorillas, and large birds of prey. At night, they light up lanterns and the place is transformed. You have to be careful though, because at this point, everyone is drunk and people stumble into you easily or get aggressive. Either way, the experience of sitting on the ground, eating roasted chestnuts, and having the sakura trees pour down it's blossoms onto your face and body will make you think a little differently about the life you have. At least temporarily.