This week on the 29 stops of the JR Yamanote Line i visited Gotanda, this was the first time i’d been to Gotanda and exactly the reason behind visiting all 29 stops, to go to places i ordinarily wouldn’t have thought to visit.
Gotanda (五反田, Gotanda) is described as a busy but unfashionable neighborhood in the Shinagawa ward of Tokyo, Japan. The name “Gotanda” can be literally translated as “a (rice) paddy of half-hectare’s size”. The district straddles the Meguro river, and is located between the Meguro and Ōsaki stations on the JR Yamanote Line.
“The JR loop severs the neighbourhood into two districts. Higashi (East) Gotanda lies inside the Yamanote loop, while Nishi (West) Gotanda is outside the loop. Nishi-Gotanda is largely residential, with moderately-sized apartment buildings close to the JR station and quiet leafy streets in the outlying reaches.
Higashi-Gotanda is home to Seisen University, NTT East Kanto Hospital, several temples and shrines and as many office towers like a mid-sized North American city.
Higashi-Gotanda also has a substantial number of hotels, including some of the famed capsule hotel style. Some of the buildings making up the sprawling world headquarters of Sony are found along the eastern edge of Higashi-Gotanda.”
Since my last post on this years Cherry Blossom Forecast i’ve had a few comments and emails asking where there best spots to view Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo, so here’s a list i’ve put together of 7 spots to view this years Cherry Blossoms and the nearest station access for each.
Yoyogi Koen – is one of the largest parks in Tokyo, located adjacent to Harajuku Station and Meiji Shrine in Shibuya. A few minute walk from Harajuku station.
Ueno Park – is a spacious public park located in the Ueno section of Taito-ku. Right next to Ueno station.
Shinjuku Gyoen – is a large park with an eminent garden in Shinjuku and Shibuya. A 5 minute walk from Shinjuku Station.
Aoyama Cemetry – is a cemetery in Minato. Although maybe a little creapy for some it’s a 5 minute walk from Nogizaka or Gaienmae stations.
Chidorigafuchi Senbotsusha Boen – is the Japanese cemetery for war dead, near to the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni Shrine. The easiest access is by Kudanshita station.
Sumida Park – The park stretches for a few hundred metres along both sides of the Sumida River. Asukusa station is the closest.
Inokashira Park – This pary straddles Musashino and Mitaka in western Tokyo. Kichijoji station is your best bet.
If you want to know the dates for years Cherry Blossom Season you can go here.
Cherry Blossom Forecast Updated 18th of March.
It’s a little over 4 weeks away and cheers to Evan for reminding me that this years Cherry Blossom Forecast – Sakura Zensen (さくら ぜんせん) has been published for all too see.
If all things go according to plan we should have Cherry Blossom’s in Tokyo the last week of March and first week of April.
Sakura or Cherry Blossom (Japanese Kanji and Chinese character: 桜 or 櫻; katakana: サクラ; hiragana: さくら) is the Japanese name for ornamental cherry trees, Prunus serrulata, and their blossoms. Cherry fruit (known as sakuranbo) comes from a different species of tree. Sakura is also a given name.
Current Cherry Blossom Forecast as of the 18th of March
Current Cherry Blossom Forecast as of the 4th of March
Current Cherry Blossom Forecast as of the 26th of February
Current Cherry Blossom Forecast as of the 20th of February
I recently posted a pic from last years Cherry Blossom Season but here’s a few more to get in the mood. The first is from last years Hanami party with Friends.
Hanami (花見, Hanami lit. “flower viewing”) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, “flower” in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms (桜 or 櫻, sakura?), or ume blossoms (梅, ume?). In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (lit. “night sakura”). In many places such as Ueno Park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura.
