Yoyogi Park - End of Pink

The sakura leaves have started to fall now, streets are turning pink, and the sky is swirling with tender pedals of blush.

I've taken to running the Meguro River route most days so I can enjoy the season right down to the last pedal.  It's like being showered with love. 

It's so beautiful, but kind of heartbreaking in a way, because it means the life of the sakura is ending.  In Japanese it's called Hana Fubuki (flower snowfall).  

Meguro River Bloom - just starting to fall.

Note the streams of pink in the water.

Petals on the water, like years of my life floating away.

Petals on the path of life.

Treasuring this.

Even Arisugawa park, where I walk Ranger every day, is filled with the last magic of the season.

Weeping cherry tree over the pond.

I couldn't resist this shot of these old guys fishing.  

They're there almost every day now since Spring has broke.

And the turtles are back.

Russell and I packed the picnic backpack one more time, called our fellow Hanamist, Nancy, and headed off to Yoyogi Park.  We weren't the only ones.  It was only Tuesday but apparently, everyone wanted to savor the  season too.

First we had lunch in Harujuku.  It's always entertaining.

Ranger would eat this for lunch.

Loved this Nike Run ad.

I wonder if it comes in a t-shirt?

The park was packed.  But unlike Ueno and some of the other locations we had Hanamied at, this one was filled with young people. Makes sense; it is near Harujuku.

Packed with people under thirty.

Hey! How'd we get in here?

Tarp city.

There were gigantic mountains of trash left over from the weekend.  The Japanese are usually so tidy.  But Nancy pointed out, "Imagine what this place would look like in America."  Point taken.  There were multiple trash trucks working diligently to haul away the party debris.

But clearly the party wasn't over.  We saw sophisticated salary men bringing in boxes of provisions, including tapped kegs.  Now, we're talking!

We were lucky enough to find a semi-secluded place, away from the trash, and the twenty-somethings.
Petals fluttered down in graceful loops from the trees above, while we savored rose wine, and the end of the season, beneath.

It's been a glorious season.

Thank you Japan.

And just think, Summer is on its way.