When we were planning our honeymoon in Japan, I really wanted to make sure that we got there for cherry blossom week in Tokyo. I also wanted to stay at the Park Hyatt for a few nights à la Lost in Translation. Oh, and I wanted to try and see snow monkeys…in the snow. By the time we got to booking it turned out that most hotels in Tokyo were booked for the peak of blossom season. It ended up being too many variables to consider, so we decided on going a couple of weeks later and securing a room at our hotel of choice, rather than worry about getting the blossom timing right.
In addition to Tokyo, we went into the Japanese countryside for 3 nights to a place just outside of Takayama. Somehow based on no planning or knowledge of it at all, we lucked out and got cherry blossoms in full bloom, everywhere you looked! It was i n c r e d i b l e and so romantic.
There were rosy-hued tree lined streets.
There were weeping willow type of cherry blossom trees in white, soft pink and bright pink.
Rivers with little walking bridges and overhanging blossom trees, with the added beauty of fallen petals on the water; pretty dreamy.
The stronger, tufted, more upright blossom branches came in a variety of whites and pinks too.
It all looked extra magical against the backdrop of the Japanese Alps.
We even saw the penultimate 1100 year old sakura (cherry blossom in Japanese) tree outside of Takayama. It’s so old that it’s sprawling branches need to be held up by dozens of bamboo shoots. The beautiful thing was that this season is just as special, if not moreso for the Japanese people; everyone was gathered around this tree in awe, snapping pictures or sitting on benches and quietly taking in its beauty. The fleeting week (or two) that cherry blossoms are around for there is something called hanami which is the traditional custom of viewing the transient beauty of the flowers. Hanami often involves an outdoor party beneath the blossoms day or night in one of the many parks that are in full bloom; a festival to welcome in spring.
*Despite there still being some snow on the ground in the countryside, we opted out of seeing the snow monkeys…and I’m okay with that.
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