I love cherry blossom season. At the first sign of blossoms, every one is happy, smiling and ten times more friendly than normal. Just like the trees, the people of Japan are waking up from a long winter nap.
Seeing this every day as I make my way to the station (eki) can't help but put a smile on my face.
The cherry blossom has great meaning to the Japanese people, beyond a symbol of springtime. It symbolizes a time of renewal and also of fleeting brevity of life. The blossom lasts only about two weeks. One swift storm and they are like falling snow from their trees.
Meguro River is just a hop, skip and a jump from our house. We were told to come down at night as they light all the cherry trees up. Apparently everyone else had the same idea, because it was PACKED! We are used to it by now, so just made our way through the crowd enjoying the sites and the street food. 