Family Travelogue: Chasing Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) Japan /Family Travelogue 30March~08April 2017

It has been in the bucket list, like forever, the Sakura experience in Japan. The season, however, is not a school holiday in Singapore. We usually travel with our kids, resulted to visiting Japan in 2014 and 2016 two weeks earlier of the full blossoms. I wonder how does it feel like walking along the cherry trees in bloom... in full bloom?

The youngest is kind of not keen of travelling now and the eldest travels with friends. Here we go, I and hubby planned a Japan trip from 30 March to 08 April 2017. I have checked the best Hanami spots within the period of our visit with reference to previous years. Hanami means cherry blossoms viewing. In between of the non Sakura places, our itinerary as follows:

30 March Tokyo: Shinjuku, Shinguku Gyoen, Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park, Meguro River Park, Shibuya Crossing

31 March Tokyo: Zojoji Temple, Tokyo tower, Sensoji Temple, Odaiba with the Toyota showcase

01 April Yokohma: Mitsuike Park, Minato Mirai 21

02 April Hakone

03 April Hikari Bullet train from Odawara to Nagoya

03 April Nagoya: Tsuruma Park, Sakae (features TV tower, Oasis 21 and the Sunshine Sakae)

04 April Nagoya: Yamazakigawa Riverside,

04 April Nozomi Bullet train from Nagoya to Osaka

04 April Osaka: Dotonbori, Glico sign man

05 April Nara: Deer Park, Todaiji temple; dinner at Osaka

06 April Universal Studios Japan

07 April Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera temple, Philosopher's path

08 April Osaka Castle

The first day was not what we had expected. It was so cold in Japan, there were not much Sakura in the first few days of this trip. Full bloom in 2017 for the Hanami spots we had visited was from 06 April to 15 April. Apparently, we were a week earlier.

Shinjuku

We walked down from Shinjuku station to Shinjuku Gyoen. From the entrance of the park we could see sakura has not opened yet, we decided not to go inside Shinjuku Gyoen.

Torii at the entrance to Meiji Shrine

More of this religious place to share the next blog.

Barrels of Sake donated to the Meiji Shrine

Yoyogi Park

It was pretty cold on this day. No wonder the opening of the flowers had slowed down.

Video: More of Yoyogi Park but not much of Sakura

Meguro River Park

Meguro River Park is one of the best Hanami spots in Tokyo. This place could be so beautiful had the cherry trees in full bloom.

Meguro River Park

Tokyo has more to offer though. It was just our first day. We headed to Shibuya to join pedestrians to walk across the famous Shibuya Crossing.

Most of the videos and the photo were taken at the 2nd floor of Starbucks Cafe.

Tempura Tendon

We were checked in at Sotetsu Fresa Inn Hamamatsucho Daimon in Minato, Tokyo. The place was on foot to Tokyo Tower. Completing our first day in Tokyo, we had our dinner at Palatin Patisserie/Cake shop located inside the Hamamatsucho station. We saw from the outside "don" meals.

Walking to our hotels was really so cold. I could say about 5 deg Celcius at 10pm. I thought we would not see Sakura in Tokyo.

outside Hamamatsucho station

JAL breakfast to Haneda from Singapore

touch down Haneda Airport

Haneda International Airport Tokyo, Japan

Train Ticket Vending Machine at Haneda Internation Tokyo, Japan

We topped up our existing Suica card, 10,000Yen each. We never purchased the JR rail pass which is exclusive for tourists. We did not want to be limited to JR operated lines as it could slow down our transfer from one place to another place. Subways are very much around and Nozomi shinkansen is not covered by the Rail pass. My calculations, it is cheaper not to avail the pass if not travelling from one region to another region. Somehow, almost the same if covering more than one region.

We purchased our Shinkansen tickets and reserved seats for transfer from Odawara to Nagoya for 03 April 2017 at Haneda Airport. Nozomi bullet train does not stop at Odawara, we purchased the Hikari (covered by JR rail pass). We never realized we needed to purchase also Shinkansen ticket from Nagoya to Osaka. We did the purchase at the JR offices in Nagoya. We took the Nozomi from Nagoya to Osaka. Nozomi is the fastest among the shinkansen in Japan.