We held a weekday tour for this day. Sunny and warm, a little bit windy, but the climate was just splendid to stroll around the peak season of the cherry blossom! We welcomed 28 guests from the U.S.A., Canada, Chile, France, Slovakia, Malaysia, and made 4 groups to go on for the walk.
One of our French guests told us that they came to Japan to enjoy their honeymoon. They very much wanted to come at at the Cherry Blossom season. Once we heard that, all of the guests in our group started celebrating them. How pleased we were to hear such good news and how proud we felt to be included as a piece of memory of their treasured trip !! Even the cherry blossoms seemed to say “Happy Wedding!! ” for them too!
Usually the Honmaru area is a quiet area but at this time of year, it is very lively! This day, especially near the cherry blossom trees , we could see unusual scenes. Company directors taking a group photo, people sitting on the lawn and chatting, businessmen bringing their lunch-box enjoying their meal in a circle .(Yes, this area is near a business district called Marunouchi)
Talking about outdoor “宴会”、(”宴会=Enkai” means eating &drinking with a bunch of people ), Japanese love to hold an “Enkai” under the cherry blossom trees. We usually gather with our family, friends or co-workers. When the “Enkai”is held at night, the illuminated cherry tree looks gorgeous but as you can imagine, it makes you feel freezing drinking a cup of beer…
Anyway, April is the season for new employess and freshmen to start their new year at their company or school in our country. For some companies, the first job for the new employess are to keep the territory of the “Enkai” by spreading a vinyl rug on the ground and wait till their workers come to join them. After work they enjoy such an enthusiastic “Enkai” under the trees.
Like this way, cherry blossoms are also so special for Japanese!
(Posted by Noriko)