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Published: April 10th 2009
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In the fall I put up a post about the momiji, japanese maples, changing colors and what a big deal it is. The spring equivalent are sakura trees, cherry blossoms. Around the first week of april all the trees in Tokyo pop at the same time and the Hanami (flower seeing) begins. I'm pretty sure its the drastic changes in these two trees that coordinate with the seasons that explains why Japanese people believe that Japan is the only country that has 4 seasons. That's not a joke. The only thing more surprising to them, (and frustrating to me) is when I have to explain that New York City is not a death trap.
I went on hanami to 3 different places, although you don't need to make a special trip for it. These trees are all over Tokyo; down streets, alleys, backyards, etc. but if you go to the special places, night or day you are in for a treat. Like the momiji in Kyoto, Japanese flip for this stuff so every park and tree-lined street was packed with Tokyoites and food stalls selling to them. The streets were alive and for once no one looked at you strange
for eating and walking at the same time. First place I went to was around the Kudanshita station. The main road was lined with trees and there was also a park and shrine (Yasukuni) in the area. The trees in the park over the lake were especially beautiful. There were just so many collected in one area. As you can see, these aren't small trees or small blossoms, the entire tree is covered with flowers in a way the Cherry trees in America can't measure up to.
Next round was in Yoyogi park, kind of like a "Central Park" but not as central. This was real hanami, where people would bring booze, food, and a tarp to sit on in the beautiful spring day and relax until it got too dark or cold. I was with my circle here as part of the activities for new members. The school year starts in April, so all of the 10,000 new Waseda students come in and the various circles try to grab as many as they can. This means 4 days of dumping thousands of flyers into the hands of scarred and fleeing students running out of their entrance ceremony, followed
by a few days of various explanations of the cirlces activities, cheap dinners and parties, and a sakura viewing. I got to take part in all of this and it was wild to see how the 700+ circles go after 10,000 students in a sort of organized chaos. Nothing like our leisurely activities fair at Lafayette. So there we sat on our tarp with our food and beer bought cheaply at the Japanese equivalent of Wal-Mart, with most of Tokyo, watching the trees and talking.
Third time was on a long strip of road along the Meguro River, lined with trees, lights, and restaurants for the tree-watchers. Also plenty of trucks selling kebabs and baked sweet potatoes, and convenience stores to load up on beer and sake to walk with while looking at the trees. Every so often on this road there would be an old bridge, with lanterns, so people could stand over the river and contemplate falling pink petals. No room for a picnic, but certainly a good setting for a romantic date. Upon reading this my family may ask me "A what?" Romantic date and tree watching isn't something I usually do. But a funny thing
happened on the plane ride back to Japan. I met a girl, Yuriko, who is studying at another school in Tokyo, who dresses like and is Japanese, but has the personality and thought process of an American, which is refreshing. By that I mean not afraid to say whats on her mind, cross when the light is red in the middle of the road, eat spicy food, devour a giant sweet potato on the side of the road, and not follow the usual path from school to school to a job. We dated a few times and, well, are still dating. There's a pic of us from the big party the Waseda students held at a club we rented out for the night. At the very least I found a drinking and eating buddy because she has the same problem that I do of stopping in front of every single restaurant and bar that looks interesting to check the menu and contemplate when to eat there.
In other happenings...Classes started. Japanese classes got off to a much better start this semester...not terrified this time. I have a class on Law and Society which is nice and small, discussion intensive
and the professor doesn't kill the classes opinions. Macroeconomics, the one course I HAVE to take is taught by a professor that has horrible English...really, really bad. Doesn't seem his econ is too good either. I'll be learning from the book for that one. Last night host mother told me at 6:40pm that she had gotten tickets to see Blue Man Group in Tokyo which is show I always had wanted to see in NYC. 25 minutes later I was 2nd row center to a performance of radical percussion, comedy, light, sound, and flying paint and toilet paper. Everyone in the audience was given a poncho. I don't know how this family pulls these things off at the last minute, but I have enough experience now to just go with it.
I noticed that Tokyo had really been getting heavy handed on pedestrian traffic control. There seem to be more crossing guards/direction givers than usual. At the base of a staircase in a busy station, there was an extra uniformed officer repeating the instructions to move slowly, stay on the left side, etc. When I came back 5 hours later he was still there. Also at the cross walk
Shi tzu in stroller
Mom, if you put my dog in a stroller I'm not coming back. at a large intersection near the school there was a man in a blue suit with a small flag he would raise when the crossing light was red. It had a picture of a little girl and said "Even though the light is green the cars may not see me" Tokyo is just a fun place to look around.
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mom
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bought Chi chi a stroller today, NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! \love the blog, all of it. You are amazing!