It's 'hanami' season in Tokyo once again. For those of you who don't know what that means, hanami is that short time of year when the cherry trees bloom and Japanese people head out in droves to eat and drink under the trees, while contemplating the short but beautiful life of the cherry blossom (about a week).

To be honest I don't think much contemplation is going on. These days it's more like an excuse to get drunk and party with friends and co-workers. Hanami literally means 'flower viewing' and signifies the beginning of spring. I've heard that when the trees bloom, it is also supposed to signify the end of spring allergies, (although my eyes are still itchy).

This year I went to Shinjuku Gyoen which won't mean anything to you unless you live in Tokyo. Quite a nice park aside from the fact that you have to pay 200 yen to enter. By the way, the whitish/pink flowers are the cherry blossoms. The darker red/pink flowers are supposedly peach blossoms, but I've been telling everyone it's an mutant cherry tree.

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