HT,

KT said he was going to get me Ilife'08 tonight since he is asking me to work on a project. Can't do anything with my present set up.

Ueno Park

<http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3019.html>

was a blast yesterday. Blooms out & so were the hundreds & hundreds of people ready to view their Sakura. We headed out knowing there was a 50% precipitation forecast. Although I woke up to a bright sunny day , it soon got cloudy. Enjoyed our food, drinks & chats but most of all enjoyed watching the Japanese have fun & enjoying themselves. A couple of hours later- raindrops kept falling on our heads so we had to pack up & find cover under the tarps we were sitting in. Umbrellas popped out & those who carried them continued to walk on & shot photos & looked up & around & were just in a great mood.

Crossed the street to Benten Do

<http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/...enten.html>

& walked across the pond & ate our way towards & back from the shrine. Had lots to eat , much more people to enjoy watching. Bought Anika's track shoes & Luke's skater shoes in Ameyoko

<http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3012.html>.

I bought 3 BIG salted salmon jaws on sale for Y500 marked down from Y700! Great bargain. It did remind me of BKK's markets. Very friendly merchants. Irrashiai !!! Irrashiai !!!

Will work on the pics tonight ( I hope !) . I am so computer challenged my kids have given up on me. Gambarimasu !!!

HT, will keep praying the blooms will hold up for you when you arrive. Today looks even better- sunny all day.

Kirei kappasan! I love the hanami at nite with lites....so surreal, domo.

Thanks for the prayers bmt, seems like we need them. We were there at Ueno last year and there were thousands of people. Ohhhhhhko the food stalls. I remember a bunch of them in a row in the back serving all kinds of wonderful food.

OMG the days are just creeping bye, ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Shinjuku Gyoen Park today. I was here last year about the sakura peak time. I had forgotten how nice this park was.

http://www.asahi.com/photonews/TKY200803300186.html

HT,

Managed to get this together without the ILife'08 which KT says has gotten poor reviews. Was shocked at the ease of loading these photos . I had no clue. What took a long time was putting captions on them.

http://web.mac.com/taylorjapan/iWeb/...i%2008%20.html

It has been dreary for the past 2 days. Might be a good thing to keep things cold to hold out the blooms for your arrival later this week.

Woke up to a bright & sunny Friday AM inspite of the 50% rain forecast. Off to Ueno Park

<http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3019.html>

& enjoyed the food, the blooms & watching the people enjoy the blooms. About an hour or so into our "Viewing party" raindrops started to fall on our heads & had to take cover. Umbrealas popped out as the rains came down & they continued to walk & gaze & oohh & aahhhh. We took solace under the tarps we sat on. Rains subsided in a few minutes & it seemed like nothing ever happened.

Visited Benten do,

<http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/...enten.html>

a temple in the middle of Shinobazuno (ike) Pond. There was a matsuri (festival) & food of all kinds & flavors & aromas to be enjoyed.

Walked on to perhaps the closest thing to Thai markets in Japan called Ameyako cho

<http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3012.html>

Lots of fish but not as much as what I saw the day before in Tsukuji- you could bargain here though & got 3 BIG salmon jaws for only Y500 !

Thanks for the pics bmt! Looks like you guys had fun in spite of the rain. I see wind in the forecast for tomorrow then sun shine till I get there when it is scheduled to rain

I love the Ameyoko market. Is strawberry season over yet? I remember getting the biggest, juiciest ones there a couple of yrs back......three on a stick. oishi! We get a lot of dried packaged items from there to take home too.....it's a must stop for the ht's when in Tokyo.

Domo!

Strawberries are still plentiful although the best first fruts are harvested early Jan. We have done Ichigo Gari ( Strawberry Picking) in the past in Chiba.

<http://chiba4u.com/1583/e/index.htm>

Prices will drop tomorrow till the end of the season mid-May. I got a nice batch at Tobu Dept store on sale for Y200 because one of the berries was blemished. I said "Bring it on". It was sweet !!!

There was a lot of fruit in Ameyoko including your strawberries on a stick. The vendor is still there. I was just sooooo full from the giant corn & tai yaki I ate, I seriously went by without any paying attention to it.

Victoria's class will have their Ohanami Lunch in their campus this Wed. I'll be there to help out & look up & enjoy the gorgeous blooms with them. They even have the double blooms which come out a little later.

Hope the blooms hold up till your arrival.

bmt, great pics. reminds me of our visit there last year, about the same time as kappa was there, at shinjuku park.

i think if you want a hanami, thats the park for ordinary citizens to go to, as you have a fighting chance for a nice spot.

bmt those are great pics....I remember when kuranosuke, laurieco and I met in Tokyo last year for a gtg, kuranosuke was telling everyone about his day in Shinjuku Gyoen park. We will try to make it there this year.....hopefully not too late

Aloha!

Thanks for the beautiful sakura pictures, bmttokyo!

ht,

You were in TKY last year for a GTG & you forgot to invite me? I'm so hurt.......

It's another gorgeous day today - sun's out but the air is still chilly. We are looking forward to more O Hanami parties.

Ken, next year, I'll try to get the family to Shinjuku Goen. Looks like that place is a looker........

HT, how many more sleeps? Mara, I'll take more pix tomorrow at my 4th Grader' s lunch O hanami.

bmt,

5 more restless nights, lol

Sorry bmt, didn't know you had wanted to attend the gtg......we did invite fodorites from anywhere in Japan or anyplace for that matter,six of us attended. I guess you didn't see that thread. We would have loved to have you or anyone residing in Japan there.

bmt, all gtgs are open to everyone.(even bob is welcomed, regardless of what the panda says) .

last years gtg was truly memorable, not because i made a hole in the shoji window of the izakaya we were in,(ok, several holes) but we all, hawaiiantraveler, laurieco, and i, with our spouses, just had a great great time.

we invited one and all to join us. we really wanted the fodorites who lived there to attend. none attended.

i think at that time, you were unaware of the fodors gang, and/or perhaps apprehensive of meeting strangers on the internet.

i don't blame you. my dw thought i was "nuts" to go and meet orgy in bangkok a few years ago.

she told me if i wasn't back in three hours, she would send the shore patrol after me. of course, she had nothing to worry about.

we have since become good friends, like other fodorites here. now, we have had a great time when we get gether, sharing wonderful dinners at out of the way places.

btw, i am watching kinpachi sensei as i am posting. this episode has his class of 3B graduating, and doing to soran-bushi.

anyway, next time.

I was just thinking- we were staying in SF for work till about April 07. Next time there's a GTG, I'll pay more attention.

Sit tight. You'll be here before you know it.

K,
I was typing & our messages crossed. I'll make sure to keep an eye on the next GTG here in TKY.

I've never heard of Kimpachi Sensei. Suppose that is a Terebi Dorama here huh?

bmt, hai, kinpachi is a terebi dorama, about a school teacher. its in its eighth season.

great show, with alot of current issues included in the show.

kuranosuke - are you in Hawaii? They have so many Asian dramas on there! Here in NYC on my cable there is nothing - just one channel with Korean dramas...no Japanese dorama at all!

hai, i live in honolulu, along with a few other fodorites here(some of notorious reputation.lol.)

luckily we have quite a few japanese dramas, like nhk, and all in english subs. great viewing, and helps me with my japanese so i can get around a little better in japan.

hai sakamoto san no notorious reputation here