Happy Spring!!

Today is a national holiday in Japan: Spring Equinox Day. I thought to myself, there's no better way to celebrate the first day of spring than an afternoon in search of the magnificent Japanese cherry blossoms. Here are a few pics of my day:





























Photos:

• Top left: a sight I never expected to see in the Tokyo skyline--the dome of a western cathedral. I got lost on my way in search of a book sale in Ochanomizu, but found many other treasures instead. Among them were a Shinto shrine, a Confucian temple and this cathedral: Nikolai-do.
• Top right: another view of the cathedral
• Middle left: a bridge near Ochanomizu Station
• Middle right: sunset at Ueno Park
• Bottom left: CHERRY BLOSSOMS!!
• Bottom right: more cherry blossoms near a shrine in Ueno Park

Needless to say, I'm thoroughly excited about this cherry blossom thing. And this week is just the beginning. Check back in a couple days--I'm hoping to have lots more pictures to share with you soon. (The trees should be in full bloom all over Tokyo next week!)