Next, I visited Ueno Park, where the cherry blossoms were just starting to bloom. Today was the first clear day since I got to Japan, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to go to the parks because of the weather. In certain parts of the park, people were picnicking under the sakura trees. It was a lot of fun just walking through the park and enjoying the beautiful scenery. It’s hard to believe that this huge, open park is in ultra urban Tokyo.
More sakura in bloom. This one tree was really starting to open up.
I visited the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park as well. In college, I took a course in Japanese history, which covered Japanese pre-history to the 1980’s. It was really interested to be able to see actual artifacts from the periods I studied in that class. I even brought my old book and notes, and I read them on the plane to refresh my memory.
When I asked to buy a ticket, the woman at the counter noticed I was holding a Tokyo Metropolitan pamphlet, and she told me there was a coupon for a discount in it! After the discount, entry to the museum was only about 5 dollars. That was very nice of her.
There were many beautiful kimonos on display. The ones in the picture are over 800 years old, from the Kamakura period
There was an entire section dedicated to the weapons and armor of the Edo period. It was amazing to see up close the intricate patterns on the armor.
A painted Japanese screen. Very beautiful!
Pretty... Thanks for those pictures of the cherry blossoms. They're so beautiful and it's so hard to see them in the US. I think the last time I saw them was when I was in DC, and that was only because I was extremely lucky enough to have caught them on one of the handful days that they are in bloom there.
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