Sunshine spread over central Tokyo on Monday the 20th. Warm sun advanced the cherry blossoms, and a visiting couple from abroad snapped a commemorative photo in front of the cherries at the foot of Takebashi Bridge before the Palaceside Building. Spring is here in earnest.
Somei-yoshino at Chidorigafuchi, one of Tokyo's leading cherry spots, looks likely to reach full bloom around midweek. Chiyoda Sakura Festival (through April 4), centered on cherry sites in Chiyoda such as Chidorigafuchi and Kitanomaru Park, opens on the 24th, and the public opening of Inui-dori at the Imperial Palace begins the next day, the 25th (through April 2). Both were cancelled for three years because of COVID-19 and are returning after four years.
The Palaceside Building is normally closed on Sundays but will open specially on the 26th. Some restaurants are also scheduled to operate.