Every journey should have a theme. Mine was the Sakura Zensen ‘Cherry Blossom Front’. As spring comes to the Japanese archipelago, the Front moves north across the land, the great crowds of cherry trees exploding with blossoms. In its wake a seasonal energy is released, offering the happy excuse for millions of nihon-jin (Japanese) to take a break from their straight-line lives and party unabashed in the open, joyous under the beautiful but fleeting blossoms.
Follow his journey in Insight.
© Japan Today
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newsninja
This seems like its going to be a great story to follow - much more than a bike ride looking at petals... a whole examination of the country and the people... the psyche and many of the weird and wonderful things I have come to love about Japan... where potentially we are all peddling madly to get on the economic "get-yen-in-pocket-front", albeit to have it elude us just like the fleeting blossoms oft do... escaping our hands as it flutters by... anyway - hopefully there will be some drunken "blue-sheet" seated laughs along the way too so as to help us forget about the red yen blues... too bad my bike has a puncture... deflated & out of wind... just like the economy... & my ban account...
noborito
And the stench. Have you been to Shinjuku National Park during this season. The outdoors spells like spoiled beer, wine, and Japanese sake. If you think you get a nice spring smell, think again. The places in Tokyo reek of alcohol and the drunks puking in the bushes make the whole experience sickening. The only time I have enjoyed them are the days before the official party season starts. Truly not that much fun.