Thank you for joining our tour at East Garden of the Imperial Palace on January 24th.We welcomed 16 guests from Australia, USA, Italy, Singapore, and Sweden.
I hope all of you enjoyed and shared interesting conversations with us during the tour.
As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached to remember the fun times we had.
We found beautiful plum blossoms there.
The flowers were small, but their colors were very bright.
Some were white, and others were pink.
They also had a sweet smell, which made the garden feel calm and peaceful.
They usually bloom in late winter, when the weather is still cold.
Because of this, they are seen as a symbol of patience and hope.
They are also thought to bring future success and happiness.
There is a famous short poem called haiku about plum blossoms.
“One plum blossom, one plum blossom, a little warmth.”
Hattori Ransetsu (1654–1707)
（梅一輪一輪ほどの暖かさ 服部嵐雪）
This haiku means that each plum blossom brings a small feeling of warmth.
Even when it is still cold, people feel that spring is slowly coming.
Many people like this haiku which reminds them spring is coming a little by little.
After enjoying plum blossoms, the cherry blossom season comes next.
Cherry blossoms are one of the most famous flowers in Japan.
Many cherry trees can be seen around the Imperial Palace East Garden.
Let’s walk with us in the beautiful cherry blossom season next time!
Tour photos
Group A
Group B
Group C
Once again, thank you for choosing our tour during your precious time in Tokyo. We always make efforts to improve our tours and highly appreciate your feedback on our TripAdvisor, Google etc. Your comments motivate us to continue our volunteer activities.
Next time you’re in Tokyo, please join our other tours. We’d love to see you again!
If you want more info about our tour, check out our website, Facebook, or “Tokyo Free Walking Tour” on Tripadvisor.
(Posted by Miho)