2013/04/01 - Kyoto Report
bysean

The Kyoto Meteorological Agency announced that the peak of thischerry blossom season had arrived inKyoto this past Saturday. Today I returned to the city expecting to catch some brilliant views ofsakura and I wasn't disappointed.

Elsewhere inTokyo whereSchauwecker is reporting fromtoday, the season is coming to an end. Those that arrive at the capital a little too late may consideralternatives such as locations inGunma Prefecture whichScott covered onMarch 28. I will be visiting the cherry blossom spots in Gunma too in a few days to report on the situation there.

Arashiyama

The cherry trees were in full bloom atArashiyama, a popular spot for both cherry blossom watching (hanami) andautumn color viewing. Most blossoms were looking fresh and healthy, so I think their peak should last for another three or four days at least.

Philosopher's Path

Philosopher's Path was looking very beautiful today, especially at the sections close toGinkakuji Temple. The cherry trees were filled with open blossoms and there were hardly any fallen petals. Peak should continue here for another three to four days as well.

Keage Incline and the Okazaki Canal

Walking south from Philosopher's Path leads to Keage Incline, another ofKyoto's popular cherry blossom spots. Every spring when I visit, I spot couples having their wedding pictures taken here. The charming slope, especially when flanked by full-blooming cherry trees as it was today, is indeed an excellent location to take pictures to remember for eternity.

Going downslope from Keage Incline takes you to the Okazaki Canal, another lovelyhanami spot. Today, thecherry blossoms at both these places were at their peak, but I found those at Keage Incline at a stage closer to the ones at Philosopher's Path, while those at Okazaki Canal were slightly more advanced and could start to fade a day earlier.

Maruyama Park

There was a lot of activity going on atMaruyama Park. It was quite crowded for a Monday afternoon and there were many tourists, both local and international, having their hanami parties there. Observing closely at the cherry blossoms, I noticed that many of their centers had turned a little pinkish, thus I am not optimistic that peak would last into the coming weekend. Nevertheless, views should still be pleasant here for another few days at least.

Kiyomizudera Temple

The walk from Maruyama Park toKiyomizudera Temple took longer than expected because of the heavy human traffic. I was somewhat surprised that so many visitors had hit the streets today, although the sunnyweather could have encouraged their numbers.

The cherry blossoms at Kiyomizudera Temple are currently at their best. Hopefully, the forecast rain tomorrow will not be too strong, so that the cherry blossom views here and around the city could at least last till the end of the week.

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