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Three weeks ago Tokyo experienced one of only about two or three blue sky days of the month. It’s been a disappointing spring on the weather front so far with lots of rain, clouds, and some cold temperatures. But on that one nice day we took advantage of the good weather and rode our bikes from Nishi-Waseda to Yanaka via Gokokuji, pictured above.
Perhaps I should back up and present my day in Kofu chronologically. I took the Keio Line from Shinjuku to Takao Station for two reasons. The first is that it costs 190 yen less (each way) than JR, and the second is that the views are better. You can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day from Keio’s Kitano Station, but it wasn’t clear enough yet on this day. If you get on a semi-limited express train (like I did) the Keio Line is actually faster too.
I transfered at Takao Station onto the JR Chuo Line. On the JR platform is a giant Tengu head statue. Tengu is the symbol of Mt. Takao, which you can get to from this station but not as easily as from the Takaosanguchi Station on the Keio Line.
The train I took, pictured above, from Takao to Kofu is the exact same one I took 22 years ago according to my memory. Japan is full of improvements in the past few decades but JR doesn’t seem to have changed a thing to the regular trains on this line.
The views from the train were really nice–rivers, lakes, fishermen, sakura, mountains, older Japanese homes–things that are not so commonly viewed from trains in Tokyo. The train stations are also much smaller. Everything is a bit more charming.
The first decent sized station after Takao is Ootsuki. From Ootsuki you can head south to Fujiyoshida or to the Fuji Five Lakes Area. I stayed on the train though. The above photo is of a map of the area that I took from inside the train while we were stopped at the station.
The blossoms along this route were really fantastic at times. Sometimes it seemed to be snowing as blossoms fluttered around the train as we speed through a tunnel of blooming trees. The sun came out, for one of the first times during the cherry blossom season, which made things look even better.
I’m not sure if the above photo is from Enzan Station or Higashiyamanashi Station, but the view was great.
The City of Yamanashi in Yamanashi Prefecture had orchard after orchard of blossoming trees. I’m not sure if they were cherry blossoms as they were pink instead of the normal white. Yellow, ground flowers (rapeseed perhaps) bloomed beneath them. With the mountains, partially blue sky, and white fluffy clouds, it made for an impressive scene (and one somewhat different than the one pictured above).
The people in Yamanashi Ken have always been very good to me. I got up to let four, older Japanese ladies sit together when they got on in Yamanashi. That was enough to turn me into an instant friend in their eyes. They shared their candy with me, and we had a good time talking about the area and Kofu, which is where they were also going to experience the same festival.
Sakura reached its peak in most places in Tokyo on about the 5th of April. Unfortunately, most of the days during the first week of April were cloudy, cold, wet, or windy–usually a combination of two or more of those items. April 8th was beautiful (we took a bike ride to Yanaka on that day), and the 9th looked promising (although the sun never did come out).
We headed to Inokashira Park, near Kichijoji, as, according to our guidebook, the cherry blossoms bloom later there.
Besides cherry blossoms, there were ducks (a Mandarin Duck perhaps?), boats, shrines, forests, the Ghibli Museum, and lots of shopping down Kichijoji’s streets.
You could even get yourself some flower viewing cake (お花見のケーキ).
We recently inherited a couple of bikes (自転車) from a foreign couple who were leaving Tokyo. I’m not sure how we got along without them for our first seven months here as they have quickly become indispensable.
If you would like two used bikes (for free), or a partially used yamanote line commuter pass, in August let me know.
Today’s top photo is of Omokagebashi (面影橋), a popular starting point for a 1.5 kilometer walk of non-stop cherry blossoms along the Kanda River.
Cherry blossoms, people, and food vendors for as far as the eye can see. What’s missing?
Blue tarps to sit on for the flower viewing party along the Tama River (near the Hamura Station to be exact).