Tokyo Blond: Naka Meguro - Feels Like Disney

After our first "Hanami" (cherry blossom viewing party) experience in Ueno Park, we pretty much decided to become professional Hanamist. I created a list of the best places to view the cherry blossoms in Tokyo and roughly sketched out our plan of attack for the week.

One of the highlights noted in several of the guides I referenced was Yozakura, or night viewing of the sakura. The Meguro River was one of the places touted as having good Yozakura. It's also happens to be one of my running routes.

So in the morning, on my run, I scouted the location. Uh, yeah, this will work I thought as my steps seemed to lighten, and my stride glide, under the cascading cherry blossoms. This is beautiful and the trees weren't even at 100% bloom yet.

Wow!

Running is a lot easier in pink heaven.

I mean under the cherry blossoms.

That night Russell and I ventured out to Naka-Meguro not knowing what to expect. It was ridiculously beautiful. Japanese lanterns lit each side of the cherry tree lined river. The billowy blossoms were up-lit, the pink petals shimmering against the water below. The pictures I took did not do the landscape justice. I guess some things are best seen through the heart.

Luminescent lanterns strewn amongst the sakura

Up lit sakura casting its spell.

It was a carnival atmosphere. Shops and restaurants along the river had set up temporary bars and food stands. Even private residences and hair salons were pouring drinks and peddling homemade food along the path. Everyone was in a great mood, smiling and laughing. Couples walked hand in hand. Perhaps the fact most of the crowd, including us, was sipping some sort of frothy, sakura themed beverage, may have helped. I, myself, sipped on sakura sparkling wine, while Russell, get this, drank from a bottle of Pink Zima. Yes, Zima. Yes, pink. If our friends could see us now, I quipped blithely.

Enterprising young men selling beer and homemade stew riverside.

The candles were an especially nice touch.

Taco stand, yes taco.

Russell and I were giddy with pleasure. We literally felt like skipping. At any moment, I expected a Disney musical to break out. Hell, I felt like singing. It was so magical.

Russell, giddy, about to belt out the "Happy Working Song"

View of the river from one of the many bridges.

I wish my camera could really capture this the way we experienced it.

The river below

All the giddyness, or maybe the Zima, made us hungry so we went back towards the train station and looked for a sushi restaurant. We found a gem. Unfortunately we can't read Japanese, so even though we took a card, I have no idea what it says. I literally wrote notes on the location so we can find it again because this is the kind of place you crave afterwards.

The place was tiny and old. At first I thought maybe this wasn't such a good idea. There was an ancient TV mounted in the corner playing the Lion King in Japanese and a sushi bar that only sat about ten people. The whole joint seemed to have a brownish patina cast upon it from years of smoke. But polaroids adorned the cluttered walls and the folks in them were smiling and happy. Plus there were shelves of half drunk sake bottles adorned with the names of their patrons who would be back to drink the rest. I took that as a good sign. I'm so glad we stayed.

There were only two customers in the restaurant, salary men. It turns out one spoke English, pretty well actually. He translated when the owner told Russell in fast, rambunctious Japanese, this was a non-traditional sushi restaurant, which meant you don't put soy sauce on your sushi. Russell stopped the soy mid-stream with a startled look on his face. OK.

What followed were ten courses of the most inventive, succulent, deliciousness ever. I'm craving this place already.