Cherry Blossoms Draw Crowd to Tokyo’s Ueno Park; Viewing Season Kicks Off to Slow Start

The Yomiuri Shimbun

People enjoy cherry blossoms while picnicking at Ueno Park in Taito Ward, Tokyo, on Saturday. The cherry trees in Tokyo began flowering Friday, the latest bloom in a decade. Though there were still many closed buds on the cherry trees at the park on Saturday, warm temperatures drew parkgoers, who spread out sheets where they could sit and relax. “The cherry blossoms are just starting, but for us it’s more about enjoying the food than the flowers,” said an office worker visiting the park with colleagues.