the prettiest week of the year?
Three hanami chances so far this year, and at least one to go.
Wednesday, Chidorigafuchi / Kitanomaru Park with co-workers. Totally more into the beer. Looked something like this:
We had our own clearing, thanks to the intern! I love night-time sakura.
I was in the imperial gardens yesterday helping give a tour. Highlights: I'm learning a lot! I like it when foreigners tell me I have an American accent, I've never met a New Zealander I don't like, and I want to marry a Scandinavian. The main guide was wearing a kimono, but she also had a huge booger(!) and her obi was completely messed up, orz.
Today, peak cherry blossom day! spent in Asakusa along the Sumida River. Walking, looking at the Sky Tree, eating here and there... the katsu place I went to had 50 varieties (natto, cheese, shiso, mizore, oyster, karaage, gyoza-- all katsu!) and I tried ginger ice cream.
A ton of photographers were out trying to get shots of the Sky Tree with sakura. This is my favorite, and so Tokyo:
Afterward, I went to 1kara in Kanda -- the karaoke place made for people going alone. It's space-ship themed, the rooms are called pits, and they look like little recording studios! You control the volume, effects with what looks like a mix panel (is that a word?) and instead of speakers all the sound comes through headphones... which you should bring yourself, because they charge extra to rent their cool-looking ones.
It's more expensive than a normal place and the machines are basically the same, but it was coooool. You can see what the rooms look like here. It's 600 yen/hr during the daytime and includes drink bar. I had been wanting to go for a while!
I don't really end up in Kanda that often but I'm in the Tokyo station area often enough... now that I have a membership card, I am pretty sure I'll find an excuse to go again :>
Wednesday, Chidorigafuchi / Kitanomaru Park with co-workers. Totally more into the beer. Looked something like this:
We had our own clearing, thanks to the intern! I love night-time sakura.
I was in the imperial gardens yesterday helping give a tour. Highlights: I'm learning a lot! I like it when foreigners tell me I have an American accent, I've never met a New Zealander I don't like, and I want to marry a Scandinavian. The main guide was wearing a kimono, but she also had a huge booger(!) and her obi was completely messed up, orz.
Today, peak cherry blossom day! spent in Asakusa along the Sumida River. Walking, looking at the Sky Tree, eating here and there... the katsu place I went to had 50 varieties (natto, cheese, shiso, mizore, oyster, karaage, gyoza-- all katsu!) and I tried ginger ice cream.
A ton of photographers were out trying to get shots of the Sky Tree with sakura. This is my favorite, and so Tokyo:
Afterward, I went to 1kara in Kanda -- the karaoke place made for people going alone. It's space-ship themed, the rooms are called pits, and they look like little recording studios! You control the volume, effects with what looks like a mix panel (is that a word?) and instead of speakers all the sound comes through headphones... which you should bring yourself, because they charge extra to rent their cool-looking ones.
It's more expensive than a normal place and the machines are basically the same, but it was coooool. You can see what the rooms look like here. It's 600 yen/hr during the daytime and includes drink bar. I had been wanting to go for a while!
I don't really end up in Kanda that often but I'm in the Tokyo station area often enough... now that I have a membership card, I am pretty sure I'll find an excuse to go again :>