Sakura in Jijyugaoka and Tokyo Institute of Technology

The “hanami” experience is highly recommended for those visiting Japan around this time. My family visits Jiyugaoka every year for Hanami. We went there last weekend and it was pretty as always! I would recommend to get off at Midorigaoka Station (Oimachi line) and walk along the sidewalk to Jiyugaoka area (20-30 minutes). Stroll along Green Street from Midorigaoka to Jiyugaoka is very pretty wiht cherry blossoms in season. This road is planted with several varieties to extend the sakura viewing. During this time of year, you can enjoy pretty Tsubaki together with Sakura.

When you get to Jiyugaoka, you will see Jiyugaoka Sweets Forest on your right. It's a a mall dedicated to desserts and they have several different stores from which you can pick your favorite sweets. It's always very crowded inside and I did not like the atmosphere too much when I went in there once, but it's famours and you might want to check it out yourself.

You'll find wide, pedestrian friendly avenues leading from the station and some tree lined walking paths and many benches. A lot of people go to the tree-lined street one block south from the Jiyugaoka Station and enjoy sitting on the benches with foods and drinks they bring along.

This year, we happend to stop by at Tokyo Institute of Technology by chance. The university is open to public and anyone can go in to see their beautiful Sakura trees. I am attaching a couple of photos here. Beatutiful! They are located in front of Ookayama Station.