Shinjuku Gyoen

The highlight of our ohanami season was on Palm Sunday, April 1. We attended church, had lunch with a few of our friends, and then walked to Shinjuku Gyoen. Shinjuku Gyoen is an enormous park in the middle of one of the biggest areas of Tokyo. It's great they are able to keep so much green space. The weather was outstanding that day and made for the perfect ohanami. Seems a quarter of Tokyo's population choose this park for their ohanami also.

The line ahead of us to get in.

The line behind us to get in.

It's very popular to have a picnic while watching the sakura.




Cherry blossom "snow".

The Taiwan Pavilion was built in 1928 to commemorate the wedding of Emperor Hirohito. It was constructed in the southern Chinese Minnan style.


Entertaining Addison
After leaving Shinjuku Gyoen, we returned to Senkawa hoping to catch the end of the Sakura festival they were holding. But, alas, the festival ended an hour earlier than I remembered. Addison didn't seem to mind that there was no festival.

Former Senkawa elementary school grounds where the festival was held.






I included less than 20% of the pictures we took this day. If you're interested in seeing more, please click here.