On March 24th, 2025, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced that this year’s sakura (cherry) blossoms had started blooming in the metropolitan area. Spring has sprung! As I write every year, Japanese people have deep, almost romantic feelings toward sakura blossoms. Seeing their fleeting beauty — the petals falling just a week after reaching full bloom — also reminds us of the transience of life. Enjoying sakura viewing during this short period is truly part of Japanese culture.
This year, I took the JR East Yokosuka Line to see cherry blossoms in Kanagawa Prefecture.
My destination was Zushi City, about 50 kilometers southwest of central Tokyo. When I arrived at Sakurayama (Cherry Mountain) Park, it was full of visitors — families with children, couples, and groups of friends, all enjoying themselves in their own ways under the fully blooming sakura trees.
What left the strongest impression on me was a couple taking maedori photos (a bridal photoshoot before their wedding day). Congratulations to the happy couple!
On my way home, I stopped by Higashi-Zushi Station to enjoy some train photography. I was delighted to capture an eleven-car E235-1000 series train shining in the sunlight. But at the same time, I suddenly remembered its elder “sibling,” the E217 series, which had been retired from the Yokosuka Line on March 14th. I hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye before the retirement.
The E217 series… I’m truly sorry I missed your last run — and thank you so much for your years of hard work on the Yokosuka, Soōu-Rapid, and Tōkaidō lines.
