The rain is falling in these days is washing away the petals of flowers from the trees covering the roads of many pink and white confetti swirling in the wind. And like cherry petals are flying away, too last few days in Japan ...
What will Japan? In order strictly casual
stores open 24 hours on 24.
ramen.
the vending machines.
clean and punctual trains.
the films of Hayao Mihazaki atmosphere that reigns at the weekend.
for the "hiking in Japan," today we have devoted our attention, but especially our legs and our lungs, in addition to the five senses and to our surprise, the Takao san.
This mountain, 599 meters high and 30 cm (oh, 'sti Japanese are accurate, there is little to do ...) and whose peak offers a magnificent view despite the clouds, is located at outskirts of Tokyo, and is the ideal place for a quick trip away from the concrete metropolis.
At the base of a series of hiking trails that come on top of it snaking through the forest that surrounds its slopes. We have chosen to climb the number 6, which shows you see in the picture below.
Apart from the initial stretch of paved road, everything else was in the valley of a stream, sometimes right in his bed, between tall trees and steep walls covered with moss. Visiting these places is now captures the essence of Japanese religion, it is hard to believe that such large trees are not of gods but only living beings.
At the top and ate a quick meal in the company of a surly Japanese trekkers, we walked to the back, but choosing a different path. Along this the divine that was in the air was manifested in the form of visions, not the usual Japanese mini-skirts and heels from 6 cm even on the dirt road (that was on top ...), but even clerical workers in a black overcoat, jacket, tie, leather shoes, umbrella and 24 hours seemed to just come down from the underground ...
Just these strange visions ... It must have been tired? soon!
now know what the hanami, and I think we have said ad nauseam as the Japanese are related to work. That said, we thought that since yesterday a day, go around the parks to do some hanami healthy would be a good way to avoid the crowds, limited to that of Japanese tourists.
So we went to Ueno Koen, one of the best places to practice this activity. As you can see from the photos, however, work for many Japanese went to hell, the crowd that massed soto the sakura was made not only by old men and boys, but also by reputable employees in suits, in spite of the workaholic.
We also discovered the research group of architecture at the University of Tokyo, who had booked his place under the trees with a teddy bear of a kangaroo dressed as Sailor Moon ....
We hired a rowing boat and we started rowing in the lake of the park, enjoying the spectacle of the trees whitened, and then, once back on the ground, we headed to lunch with the best pizza in Tokyo, right next to the pizzeria Savoy at the zoo. From there we then went to Hamriuku Garden, the former emperor's garden and now beautiful garden.
particular aspect of the latter are laghettti that decorate, which are salt water, being connected to the Bay of Tokyo, following as such the level of fluctuations related to the tide. Valuable also tercentenary black pine and fields of rape in full bloom, like the cherry trees.
The day before yesterday, however, we took advantage of the sun to eat lunch in small park near the university, which I think was a house then donated to the city. Although there were a lot of people aiming to eat a picnic under the cherry trees in bloom.
Not bad, right? And to think that they are hardly known outside ...
course, if one is allergic to pollen will be a torture, but otherwise is a show not to be missed.
