Japan's red-faced weathermen declare blossom season open
Tue Mar 20, 10:53 AM ET
AFP

Source : http://www.pbase.com/pm

http://www.pbase.com/pm/image/16689771.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/pm/image/16689765.jpg

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Japan's red-faced weathermen declared the cherry blossom season open in Tokyo on Tuesday, an excuse for drunken revelry across the country but an annual headache for the forecasters.

Predicting the cherry blossoms has become one of the most closely watched duties of the Meteorological Agency, which was all apologies last week after prematurely predicting the start of the season.

Millions of Japanese wine and dine each year at parties under the cherry trees, whose delicate but short-lived blossoms have left poets over the centuries pondering the ephemeral nature of beauty.

In the end, the white and pink blossoms arrived two days earlier than expected, sparing the weathermen any further blushes.

"There are trees we always monitor to confirm the arrival of the blossom season," said a weather agency official. "We confirmed some buds have opened on the trees today."

The cherry blossoms arrived in Tokyo eight days earlier than average due to an unusually mild winter, the agency said.

Tokyo experienced its first snowless winter since records began in 1876, with the first snow seen only last Friday, which officially counts as spring.

I wonder if the sakura's can live (survive) with the mexican weather, because in Washington DC they can.

Sakura Season has just come in Tokyo

sakura forecast
http://ca.c.yimg.jp/weather/1174046528/weather.yahoo.co.jp/weather/jp/leisure/sakura/img/sakurazensen.jpg
Sakura in full bloom in Tokyo will be at the end of the month.
http://kabegamiphoto.nomaki.jp/sakura/photo/sakura_02_009.jpg
http://kabegamiphoto.nomaki.jp/sakura/photo/sakura_02_010.jpg
http://kabegamiphoto.nomaki.jp/sakura/photo/sakura_02_001.jpg
http://kabegamiphoto.nomaki.jp/sakura/photo/sakura_02_011.jpg
http://kabegamiphoto.nomaki.jp/sakura/photo/sakura_02_006.jpg

http://kabegamiphoto.nomaki.jp/sakura/photo/sakura_01_012.jpg
http://kabegamiphoto.nomaki.jp/sakura/photo/sakura_03_009.jpg

Top20 Daytime Hanami spots in Tokyo

1, Shinjuku Gyoen : 新宿御苑
2, Ueno Kouen : 上野公園
3, Inogashira Kouen : 井の頭公園
4, Chidorigafuchi : 千鳥ヶ淵
5, Syowa Kinn Kouen : 昭和記念公園
6, Sumida Kouen : 隅田公園
7, Yotsuya : 四ツ谷
8, Koganei Kouen : 小金井公園
9, Asukayama Kouen : 飛鳥山公園
10, Kinuta Kouen : 砧公園
11, Okutamako : 奥多摩湖
12, Yoyogi Kouen : 代々木公園
13, Jindai Shokubutsu Kouen : 神代植物公園
14, Senzoku Ike Kouen : 洗足池公園
15, Baji Kouen : JRA馬事公苑
16, Sakura Douri, Kunitachi si : 国立市さくら通り
17, Tamako(Murayama Chosui Ike) : 多摩湖（村山貯水池）
18, Hamura no Seki : 羽村の堰
19, Mizumoto Kouen : 水元公園
20, Hikarigaoka Kouen : 光が丘公園

Other good sites: Sotobori Kouen : 外濠公園, Syakujii Kouen : 石神井公園, Zenpukuzi Kawaguchi Ryokuti : 善福寺川緑地, Takiyama Kouen: 滝山公園,
Sendai orikawa Kouen and Minamisuna Ryokudou Kouen 仙台堀川公園 and 南砂緑道公園, Rikugien : 六義園, Siba Kouen : 芝公園, Meiji Jingu Gaien : 明治神宮外苑, etc.

Top10 After5 Hanami spots in Tokyo

1, Ueno Kouen : 上野公園
2, Yotsuya and Chidorigahuchi : 四ツ谷 and 千鳥ヶ淵
3, Roppongi Hills :六本木ヒルズ
4, Shinjuku Gyoen : 新宿御苑
5, Inogashira Kouen : 井の頭公園
6, Sumida Kouen : 隅田公園
7, Syowa Kinen Kouen : 昭和記念公園
8, Hamarikyu Onshi Teien : 浜離宮恩賜庭園
9, Koganei Kouen : 小金井公園
10, Yoyogi Kouen : 代々木公園

More Information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami
http://www.walkerplus.com/hanami/
http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/kouen/wg_sakura/50sakuin/50sakuin.html

*Kouen means park.
*Notice. Some Hanami spots do not allow to take drink and make too mush exitement. Please, let you know and get more information before you go.

Here are a few cherry blossom celebration pics I took around Zojoji and shibakoen yesterday:

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01059.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01065.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01066.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01081.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01084.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01087.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01088.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01092.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01096.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01098.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01099.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m243/southtek/DSC01101-1.jpg

ah... too much fun for one day... :)

^My hanami party last Sunday started with beer, continued with wine and ended with awamori... :dizzy: I hate hangovers.

It snowed in Tokyo today !
snow in April and cherry blossoms!

^It's damn cold today, but did it snow? :?

and thundered a lot. :lol:

http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/shakai/20070404STXKD081904042007.html
http://www.nikkei.co.jp/news/shakai/20070404AT1G0402Y04042007.html

I was coming back home from Funabashi and saw the lighting, but... snow? :crazy:

The report says it was sleet, but sleet is considered snow in meteorological records.
I think "first snow" record in March was also sleet.

i was around the 30th floor of Roppongi Hills this afternoon, it certainly looked like a snowstorm from up there... so many flakes it almost completely blotted out the view. didn't see anything on the ground, though.

yay...i can't wait for Hanami :cheers:

Oh, you beauty...We´d like to visit Japan next year with my girlfriend but unfortunately I´m quite alergic-wanna go anyway..:) :nuts:

Oh, you beauty...We´d like to visit Japan next year with my girlfriend but unfortunately I´m quite alergic-wanna go anyway..:) :nuts:

may i know why ? :)

Oh, you beauty...We´d like to visit Japan next year with my girlfriend but unfortunately I´m quite alergic-wanna go anyway..:) :nuts:

allergic to your girlfriend? :)

ha ha, come anyway. I'm allergic to spring too, but I still enjoy the sakura. while you're here, you can enjoy japanese hayfever medicine as well.

may i know why ? :)

Cause it must be beautiful and I just like that sort of things. But I´ve also a friend there so wanna see her..:)

allergic to your girlfriend? :)

ha ha, come anyway. I'm allergic to spring too, but I still enjoy the sakura. while you're here, you can enjoy japanese hayfever medicine as well.

No! I´d go rather by myself if I were allergic to her. :)
BTW good idea about that medicine..It should be helpful. Anyway have you already tried some of those?

It snowed in Tokyo today !
snow in April and cherry blossoms!
didn't see the snow..... so pity. :)

In West Tokyo, snow (not sleet) piled a little.

I really like "sakura". Nice pictures
Arigatou gozaimasu

Shinjuku
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5931/tokyo0234hg0.jpg

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/5869/tokyo0226aq3.jpg

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/3923/tokyo0232ot7.jpg

Ikebukuro
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/1203/tokyo0307xs3.jpg

Hibiya/Ginza
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/3153/tokyo0454yf1.jpg

Shibuya
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9453/tokyo0426pz8.jpg

Midtown
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/5879/tokyo0491ta3.jpg

Tokyo Dome City
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/2555/tokyo0618sz4.jpg

Catch it before it's all gone!
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/8369/tokyo0620bw3.jpg

** There are also abdundance of them at Yotsuya along the river but I didn't have time to take pictures.

Look beautiful. Thanks.

By 丁丁R from dchome :

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_080411/20080411_67f745f3cdf10dd50c9dkUOoEPtLXDQi.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_080411/20080411_d4ff5582f5ed4e7bccc8o773dAKYtjnz.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_080411/20080411_b07950242f1abdb2e4b0nBYBWCwTQw3m.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_080411/20080411_185d6dad72fb3eca56f6RQYVQAhNEGs0.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_080411/20080411_4f824803e18f1fd8adc9L5pYtrKv5QIl.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_080411/20080411_ee4690f13b89a233d680CTWDaALXgaxy.jpg

桜 ohhhhh :hug: 好きやねん... lol

ﾎﾟｯ(*ﾟ.ﾟ)(ﾟ.ﾟ*)ﾎﾟｯ

Source : http://www.pbase.com/chongma/hanami

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/15194761.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/15197401.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/15015849.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/15194759.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/27506003.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/27506020.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/27506004.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/27506018.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/chongma/image/27506015.jpg

Here are some my lover lady and I took two years ago:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2140/2409333299_fdd4fd18d1.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2409552601_1387c9c089.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2232/2410436144_a044b6d1aa.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2414/2410172274_7cccca2616.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2318/2409560931_b7d6eb3815.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2295/2410390080_85b0ff5c77.jpg

More here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/timtram/tags/sakura/) (from other parts of Japan too)

So nice to have a thread dedicated to the cherry blossoms. Wonderful idea, and all the photos are just beautiful. Peaceful. :)

Sakura taken by my uncle :)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs475.ash1/26054_1339509822215_1665248999_826934_7643344_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs455.snc3/26054_1339509902217_1665248999_826936_2760945_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs455.snc3/26054_1339509942218_1665248999_826937_1545253_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs475.snc3/26054_1339509982219_1665248999_826938_2727182_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs455.snc3/26054_1339510022220_1665248999_826939_1010931_n.jpg

Looks great!

I don't know why but I feel that Sakura exhibits very of its beauty only in JP.
Last year, when I was in Washington DC, although the blossom was still beautiful, I didn't have the same feeling as when I look at the Sakura in JP. Perhaps, the surroundings in the States do not match much.

My school in St. Louis, MO also has some cherry blossoms trees too ^^

They are sooo nice looking trees... I feel like eating them :eat:

Nihon Kitty those photos are awesome! Those trees definately give a creative touch to whichever street or park. It would be so cool to see pictures of cherry blossom trees in normal parts of the city, it is my favorite tree after all.

are nice´s:)