In the pouring rain, many people stopped to view the cherry blossoms on the bridge over the Meguro River

People came to the Meguro River Cherry Blossoms Promenade — People who came to Meguro River to see cherry blossoms

I came to the Meguro River Cherry Blossoms Promenade in the rain, umbrella in hand. Japanese people love cherry blossom viewing. But it is not a preference that began in modern times. Japanese people have been fond of hanami (cherry blossom viewing) since the Edo period. The relationship between the Japanese and hanami is so long that it is not surprising if it is already etched in the DNA of the Japanese people. The difference is that the places known as famous cherry blossom viewing spots are slightly different from those of today. Although the rows of cherry trees along the Meguro River that I visited on that day are now well known as one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo, they are not included among the spots favored by the Edo people. The rows of cherry trees along the Meguro River did not exist in the Edo period.

The rows of cherry trees along the Meguro River were originally planted by local residents along both banks of the river during the renovation of the river in the early Showa period (1926-1989). It has a shorter history than the cherry blossom viewing spots of the Edo period. Still, the current cherry trees are said to be the third generation of cherry trees, which makes one wonder how many generations of cherry trees are blooming in places where cherry trees were planted in the Edo period, such as Gotenyama, Sumida River bank, Uenoyama, Asukayama, and Koganei.

Comment via

日本語