On March 19, people enjoy picnics under the blooming cherry trees at Ueno Park in Tokyo's Taito Ward. After four long years, the sights and sounds of picnickers beneath the cherry blossom trees returned to Tokyo's Ueno Park as COVID 19 restrictions were lifted.
Families and friends enjoyed food and drinks under the colorful trees at the popular Taito Ward on March 19, the first Sunday after cherry blossoms began to bloom in the capital.
Cherry blossoms are best viewed with food and drinks, said Hiroko Fujita, 61, who came from Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, with her husband.
The couple had visited the park in spring with a fried chicken lunch since 2013. She said that it's been so long since I last enjoyed the lively atmosphere of the park.
Visitors could enjoy strolling among the cherry trees over the past three springs. In Ueno Park, gatherings involving eating and drinking were not allowed, as they were in many parks across the country.
We came a bit too early because the trees aren't in full bloom yet but it's nice with the lovely weather, said Mitsuharu Miura, 27, who came from Tokyo's Arakawa Ward with two friends he has known since high school.
Roughly a third of the flowers were blooming against the backdrop of a clear blue sky that showed no trace of the previous day's cold rain.