Sakura alongside the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni Shrine

To my great surprise, Sakura, the national flower of Japan, was not favored by Japanese only until after the Nara Era. Their first loved flower was Ume (a kind of plum)...
And only in Japan was Sakura (cherry tree in English) grown for its beautiful flower, not for fruits like in any other country in the temperate zone...
Want to know why, love? Come with me inside this page...
The photos will say for it all.

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Tokyo Hanami Apr 2005

A stroll along a crowded street alongside the Imperial Palace and the famous Yasukuni Shrine one Sunday afternoon...
Out there, Tokyo sakura's at its best...