Tokyo's Inui Street opens for the first time in four years

The Imperial Palace's Inui Street was opened for the public to view cherry blossoms for the first time in four years - and the first time since the start of the Reiwa era on Saturday, with visitors braving chilly rain to walk down the scenic path.

Since the start of the epidemic in 2020, the seasonal spring opening of the 750 meter road has been canceled. The autumn opening was restarted last year.

Inui Street has a view of the stone walls of the former Edo Castle and is lined with 103 cherry trees of about 30 varieties, including Someiyoshino and Shidarezakura.

Despite the inclement weather, visitors stopped to admire the blossoms in full bloom and took off their masks to take photos.

Ken Adachi, 72, of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, said that I had always wanted to see the cherry blossoms at the Imperial Palace. The cherry blossoms that are wet in the rain are beautiful. Visitors walk among cherry blossoms on Inui Street on the Imperial Palace grounds in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on a rainy Saturday.