Sunday 14 April 2019

2019 Sakura Season in Tokyo

1733F of the EMU Keio 1000 series arrives at Takaido station on the Inokashira line

Subsequent to Yokohama City, I am going to show you sakura (cherry blossoms) in Tokyo Metropolis this year.

On March 21st, the Meteorological Agency of Japan declared that the sakura (cherry) blossoms had started blooming in Tokyo. It was four days later than last year, and two days earlier than most years. As I post year after year, Japanese people harbor romantic emotions towards sakura blossoms. We are also reminded of the emptiness of life, seeing the beautiful blossoms dropping only a week after they fully blossom. This season is precious for us. Sakura viewing is a part of Japanese culture; famous sakura spots are crowded with admirers.

This year, I visited Takaido on the Keio-Inokashira line, the same as last year, since there are beautiful sakura trees on the bank of the Kanda River and along the track of the Keio-Inokashira Line. It is also a place filled with memories for me because I went to a kindergarten in Takaido when I was a kid. We kindergarten pupils often walked along the stream and the track with our teacher to see the fully bloomed sakura trees and the rattling trains.

I was able to take many train photos backed by full blown sakura trees from the platform of Takaido station. They were the EMU 1000 series with somei-yoshino cherries. They were very beautiful. I saw many rail-fans and photo lovers there. The only problem was the angle of the sunlight because it was close to sunset. I am going to show you two passable photos.

1725F of the EMU Keio 1000 series travels on the Inokashira line