Hanami Party

When the Chu-Hi starts flowing and the paper lanterns turn on for the night, the parties really start. On our attempt to leave Ueno Park we saw many crazy dances and yells from all the tarp parties going on among the cherry trees.

We couldn't really leave once we say this blue dinosaur dancing in the back ground and we yelled to take a picture of them in Japanese. Nice move on our part!

It's funny how much English people use when they want you to join the party, but it worked on us!
Let me introduce you to the Ueno Park Hanami Gang. On your left you have Seiji and then Yoshi.






The Blue Dinosaur we only called "Monster Inc." (I'm guessing since we couldn't remember his name) and then the gangster in the back is Koutarou.



Beth has this new thing she loves - finger hearts! Bless her, she's trying so hard :)
This was possibly our most memorable night in Tokyo and our wildest! Here's Beth near the end trying to get some water from the machine outside Sakura Hotel. That's Hot!


FYIhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4879248.stm
Thank God this isn't "TOO MUCH" of a problem in Japan!

The Pagoda

We tried and tried all afternoon to get a close-up shot of the Ueno Pagoda. You could see it off in the distance, but as soon as we got close to it, we'd get cut off by some fence or something distracting us. SO, after much contemplating and chu-hi...we stumbled over some eating areas and got our shot - through the covered fence. Sure, we got fussed at that it was part of the Zoo, but we weren't gonna pay to just take a pic. No way, man!

Festival Food!!!

Yakitori....ummmm!

Okonomiyaki!
Whole Fish on a stick!


Squid of a stick!

Sakura Matsuri - 上野公園 Ueno Kōen

Ueno Park was BUSY BUSY last Saturday for the beginning of the Sakura Matsuri (Sakura Flower Festival) in the Tokyo area. Beth and I got there early (around 11'ish) and it was packed with people walking around and lounging on their blue tarps under the trees! Literally it was shoulder to shoulder walking around, but it all added to the crazy experience of it all and I loved it! The flowers were in full bloom, the sun was warm and bright, and the people already walking around with beers and chu-hi - NICE!!!













A famous statue of Saigo Takamori walking his dog stands in this park.