Ｓａｋｕｒａ ａｎｄ Ｂｏｒｏ

I have woken up to a blue sky and the promise of a warm and glorious day here in Tokyo.
Yesterday we had a little rain but it didn`t spoil a wonderful day and the showers probably kept the places I enjoyed with Carin a little less busy.
I have been trying to draw a map in my journal to help me recall everything we did yesterday.  It started with Carin arriving at my ryokan and bringing me a "Japan survival kit" which I shall enjoy long after my trip is over.  We walked to the nearest railway station (I was already in wonder at the cherry blossom we saw and the wonderful temples and interesting graveyards and was lost already) and caught a train on the circular JR Yamanote line towards the city.  We then took a ride on the monorail which took us out to see the Rainbow Bridge and sites of Tokyo Bay.  It`s not a sightseeing line but works well as one!

Then it was my first garden time and a wonderful array of cherry blossom at Hama-rikyu garden.  The blossom that is out at the moment is the most delicate shade of pale pink and there is some that is white.  The darker shades that we tend to see at home in England follow later.  The garden also featured wonderful ancient trees, including a 300 year old pine, and a floral display which made me smile.  It was a field of oil seed rape, being enjoyed by many Japanese people.  In Lincolnshire we have acres of the stuff, it gives us all hayfever and we use it as cattle feed (although some is now made into an oil that is said to rival olive oil).