A spring trip in Japan would hardly feel complete without cherry-blossom viewing.
This time, I visited the Meguro River cherry-blossom promenade, one of Tokyo's well-known places to see the flowers.
The neighborhood around the river brings the city and nature together.
The particularly popular riverside walk takes on different moods with the seasons and from day to night.
It is usually a quiet place for an easy stroll, but during cherry-blossom season it draws large numbers of visitors.
At the time, I felt that the flowering season seemed to be arriving earlier with global warming. Even though I came in early April, the blossoms were already nearing their end.
I tentatively wondered whether future visits might need to be no later than the end of March. That was a thought from this trip, rather than a forecast for a later season.
The peak that year was reportedly around March 31–April 1.
Around 800 cherry trees line approximately 4 km of the river.
I was a little disappointed, knowing how much fuller the blossoms normally looked.
Bridges like these appear at intervals along the river and make lovely places for photographs.
One of the Meguro River's beautiful cherry-blossom scenes is the fallen petals on the water.
The sight of pink petals filling the river is spectacular.
The river turns pink.
Ducks also came by, one after another, seeming to enjoy the blossom viewing.
They were remarkably still, gazing quietly at the fallen petals.
At night, seasonal lighting began.
That year's display was less elaborate because of COVID-19, but the evening scenery was still beautiful.
I continued downstream, looking at the blossoms as I walked.
After walking along the river for a while, I reached Gotanda Station, where a cherry-blossom festival was taking place.
The trains and blossoms together made a beautiful night scene.
Sightseeing boats were also operating across the river, occasionally passing beneath the bridges.
The boats at night, and people enjoying the cherry blossoms.
I had expected a festival crowd, but there were fewer people than I imagined, perhaps because it was late.
With a little regret, I headed back to the hotel, hoping for a brighter, livelier cherry-blossom season the following year.
Meguro River Cherry Blossoms
Address: 2-16-11, Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo