JAPAN: Tokyo revelers relax under cherry trees as they welcome the season's first blooms, brightening the mood after a year of disasters and a rocket threat from neighbouring North Korea

Record ID: 466203

  • Title: JAPAN: Tokyo revelers relax under cherry trees as they welcome the season's first blooms, brightening the mood after a year of disasters and a rocket threat from neighbouring North Korea
  • Date: 6th April 2012
  • Summary: BOY IN PRAM
  • Embargoed: 21st April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Environment,Quirky,People,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4XFHKYTOOAOOLE9II68JD6O39
  • Story Text: Under the white and pink cherry blossoms of Tokyo's Ueno Park on Thursday (April 5), revelers were marking a break with the past after a year of crisis.
    Twelve months ago the mood here was muted, as Japan cut back on spending in solidarity with those affected by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated much of the country's northeast coast.
    At Ueno Park, where 1,200 cherry trees make it one of the city's most popular blossom-viewing party venues, signs had been erected encouraging visitors to show "jishuku", or self-restraint.
    But on Thursday, thousands of party-goers were kicking back and raising a glass to the future.
    "During last year's cherry blossom season we were in a mood of self-restraint following the earthquake. But now Japan has become energetic again, so I'm happy to relax and enjoy myself with my colleagues today," 24-year-old Yui Nakayama told Reuters as her party of 15 fellow workers waited for around 50 more colleagues to join them.
    "I'm still a little bit cautious to really let my hair down when I think of the people in northern Japan, but this is the only season for it, so we'd better enjoy the cherry blossoms and reinvigorate ourselves," 25-year-old Kiyoshi Nozawa said at another blossom-viewing party.
    Even an impending launch of a satellite by North Korea, which Tokyo suspects will cross into Japanese territory when it launches next week, failed to dent the revelry for some party-goers.
    "I'm concerned about the rocket launch, but it would be unproductive to stay indoors just for that reason. So, I'm trying to refresh myself by fully enjoying this cherry blossom season," Miki Sugai said at a party with her 3-year-old son and two other mothers.
    As night fell on the banks of the Meguro river in the south of the capital, cherry blossom-viewing by the light of lanterns dispelled some of the disaster gloom.
    "We all have been in a dark mood since the earthquake last year, but the paper lanterns are lit as we are all feeling a bit brighter this year, so I'm very glad," 37-year-old Tokyo resident Junko Kikuchi said.
    After a stretch of cold weather delayed this year's cherry bloom, the capital's trees are now expected to reach their peak between April 7-8.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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