Cherry Blossoms (Imperial Palace & Naka-Meguro)

Well of course by now the Sakura are long gone, but I have been digging through my phone for some decent content to upload.  I was fortunate enough to have my parents visit me this spring.  That of course led to lots of Cherry Blossom filled adventures.  I went to some new places this year to check them out, and I definitely wasn't disappointed.  I just wanted to share some of these pictures.  If you are considering a trip to Japan I highly recommend either the beginning of April to catch the blossoms, or October/November to see the colors change in the mountains.  Although I love the summer for the beach, I wouldn't recommend it for sightseeing.  Of course I can only speak for the Kanto region.

I am breaking this post into two sections.  The first pictures are from around the Imperial Palace area in the heart of Tokyo.  The second set below them are mostly taken in Naka-Meguro area.

This guy got in the way of the picture.

It seems you can rent these boats and have a "date" out in the water.  Seems kinda neat, but I'd imagine the waiting list is long and the price is really high.  I could be wrong though!

The contrast in some of these is really beautiful I think.  The flower wouldn't be so beautiful if it weren't for the dark brown trunks and limbs.  I think those are actually my favorite part.  They compliment the bright flowers so well.

The following were taken around the Naka-Meguro area.  I will admit, it was quite busy here, but they trees were gorgeous.  Some of the best I have ever seen in all my time here.  Also there were lots of street vendors out so it's a nice place to walk up and down the water with a beer in one hand, and a sausage in the other!

When twilight hits it's quite an awesome feeling.  You get that mix of light and dark, and the lanterns are all illuminated.  There is music and everyone is drinking and having a good time.  It was pretty awesome despite the crowds.

This guy kept getting in all of my pictures.