Manny thanks for joining Tokyo Free Walking Tour in Asakusa and Ueno Park on July 23 in spite of the extremely hot weather. We welcomed 25 people from America, Canada, Chile, India and Greece. We hope you enjoyed walking with us. As promised, the photos which we took during the tours are posted.
The lotus flowers are now in full bloom at Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Park. Shinobazu Pond is one of the best viewing spots for lotus flowers in Tokyo. The Ueno Summer Festival is underway. The Lotus viewing deck in the southern part of the pond is an ideal place to admire the flowers up close.
Lotus flowers are closely connected with Buddhism. As you may have seen, the Buddhist statues are seated on lotus leaves at a Buddhist temple. They are believed to be the flower of paradise. The lotus flowers grow out of mud and have a large blossom in beauty. They apparently look different from other flowers and we feel something mysterious. The lotus is also known as the flower of Obon (the festival for the souls of ancestors mostly carried out in mid-August). Lotus flowers are sold at flower shops in July to mid-August.
Now the pond is filled with ‘Furin’ wind chimes. The number of wind chimes was 2,000 last year, but this year, the deck is decorated with massive 3,000 wind chimes. People come to feel coolness and elegance within the sound of chimes. Also, colorful Japanese parasols give added grace to the atmosphere. During the festival, there are various events including a Japanese drum concert, antique markets and nostalgic street food fairs around the pond.
Ueno Summer Festival is held from July 11 to August 11. Admission is free. Shinobazu Pond is located within Ueno Park and it’s several minute walk from Ueno Railway Station. Please remember that the lotus flowers will wither in the afternoon, so you should come in the morning if you want to admire the beautiful flowers.
Thank you again for choosing Tokyo Free Walking Tour among many other tours and we look forward to seeing you again on many other occasions in the future.
(Yoshi)