Sakura at Shinjuku Gyoen 2012

There are many beautiful Hanami (Sakura viewing) spots in Tokyo, and Shinjuku Gyoen is possibly at the top of that list.  In any case, it was definitely the most fun to photograph!!

Shinjuku Gyoen is the Imperial Gardens in Shinjuku.  

58 hectares of beautifully kept formal gardens including 1500 Sakura trees.

Aren't the colours delicious?  Turn this into gelato...I could eat this one~

...actually I did have a Sakura gelato that day! There was a van selling crepes and gelato just outside the Shinjuku gate.

 

There are many wide spaces of lawn with huge sakura trees whose branches reach almost to the ground.  Perfect for a hanami picnic!  Alcohol is prohibited so it's great for families.

(It was hard to get a good shot of this area without including faces.  It is illegal to take photos of people without their permission in Japan.)

Be careful because the gates close at 4:30pm! 4:00(Sendagaya Gate and Okido Gate)/4:30pm (Shinjuku Gate)   Each gate can be accessed from a different subway station.

See this link for access details.

The 200 yen entrance fee was negligible in comparison to the amazing spectacle!

(I took this shot at closing time!)