Tokyo in Bloom: Meguro River

Published on by Celia

I headed to Naka-meguro one evening last week. It was a spontaneous decision, and as I sat on the bus, half asleep after a long, tiring day at work, I wondered whether I really should have been pushing myself so much just to see some flowers.

The thing is, these aren’t just any old flowers… they are cherry blossoms! Any other flower and I would have definitely chosen to go straight home and pass out under my warm kotatsu. I’m glad I didn’t listen to that inner voice this time!

As I walked from the bus stop towards Naka-meguro, the famous canal came into view. My first reaction was to gasp. Wow. What an incredible sight. Waves upon waves of pink and white blooms flowed over the sides of the canal. The shallow water moved gently, carrying fallen petals downstream while reflecting all of the colours above – the dark blue night sky, the red lanterns lining both sides of the canal and the soft pink flowers dancing around in the breeze. The bridges that cross the river are always the best vantage point – you get amazing views straight down the sakura tunnel. I often hear people complaining of the crowds, but at least on this night everyone was very calm and patiently took turns taking photos from the bridges.

Some of you would probably know this was not my first time to see this stunning sight. In fact, I go here every spring. But it never fails to surprise me. Each time it feels like I’m seeing it for the first time. The only thing that would make it better is if they started offering small boat rides! Imagine how breathtaking it would be to lie back as you float down the river and see this above you.

WPC: Surprise

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37 thoughts on “Tokyo in Bloom: Meguro River”

  9. Pingback: Surprise: Green | What's (in) the picture?

    1. Exactly! Work was definitely the last thing on my mind, and the tiredness I’d felt also miraculously vanished! The power of mother nature haha. :)

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    1. Thank you, Nano! Nakameguro is seriously worth the hype and is one of just a few places I make sure to go every year. So glad you got to catch the sakura here this year! Did you go both during the day and evening?

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    1. Hopefully not much longer till Hokkaido has its turn! I remember going skiing in May in Hokkaido a couple of years ago, so I guess spring doesn’t start till much later!

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    1. They seem to be slowly spreading around the world! I’ve never seen sakura in another country, but I feel like it’s such a different experience here because of the way they’re connected to the culture. Hope you get to come over some time!

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      1. I believe Japan gifted Washington D.C. with some sakura trees, which is why it’s a big to-do each year there. Here on the west coast, we have a big Asian influence, and Sapporo is Portland’s sister city. I’m not surprised to see the trees all over Washington and Oregon. Because we have them locally, we actually chose the autumn when we visited a year ago – just as stunning! I’d love to see springtime there, though :) I posted some pictures of our Northwest sakura, if you’re curious: https://lotsasmilesphoto.com/2017/04/02/wc-packed-in-pink-spring-is-here/

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        1. I’m not that familiar with the U.S., so it’s interesting to learn something new! Your photos are so beautiful.
          That’s great you could see Japan in the autumn. I actually like autumn more than spring – though I feel like that’s not something I should admit too often :)

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