On the other hanami...

*rimshot please*.... it's sakura or cherry blossom viewing season. So the flipside to yesterday's dire post about out-of-control cedar trees spraying out cubic tons of allergic pollen in a reproductive frenzy, is that the same wild urges bring forth the pink tinted pleasures of hanami. And the Japanese know how to appreciate it; it's practically a national holiday. The daily newscasts track the progression of the blooms as they travel with the warming weather, starting from down south in Kyushu and sweeping northwards through Honshu (the island where Tokyo is located... Japan is made up of 4 big islands, Kyushu, Honshu, Shikoku and Hokkaido).

We're heading down to Tokyo in a few days to start the beginning of our trip back to NYC. A week in Tokyo, then a week with the folks back in Upstate NY, then 2 weeks down in NYC proper. When we're in Tokyo I'm hoping we can celebrate hanami in the time honored Japanese tradition of heading to the nearest park, spreading out a blanket under the blooms and then proceeding to crack open can after can of Kirin lager. Because another great Japanese tradition is to get totally faced while appreciating the subtle charms of spreading petals. And I can totally get down with that.