Hanami in Tokyo
 

I'm hitting Tokyo on the 4th April. The wife has a few suggestions for Hanami, just wondering where the Tokyo denizens would go for a relatively less manic experience. Thanks.

Last year I went to Hanzoman, Inokashirakoen for Hanami, it really depends time for the density of people I guess. When I walk in Ebisu there's even falling sakura

some of my pic for reference :p http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisli0311/Japan20#

Falling Sakura @ Youtube

The best hanami I have experienced so far was at Koganei Park west of Tokyo. They have a veritable forest of cherry trees there, and since it's a bit farther out on the Chuo Line it doesn't get jam-packed and impossible to enter (like Shinjuku Gyoen does).

In addition to getting out of the center, you can also escape the worst of the crowds by going to see blossoms during working hours.

I recall walking along the Sotobori (old moat around the Imperial Palace, parallel to the Chuo-Sobu Line tracks) and seeing rows of sakura.

Yep. Between Ichigaya and Iidabashi. The path/park on the South of the tracks is a hugely popular spot with the office workers. You'll see junior staffers guarding patches of blue plastic during the daylight hours and it gets pretty impassable in the evenings. Street party turns to street pizza pretty quick.

map
 

You have a mashup there : http://www.hanami2010.com that shows the latest hanami related tweets on a map, as well as a lot of places

Ditto for Ueno-koen. Steer clear.

満開where I am presently! Enjoy while the weather holds....

Despite being a little chilly we went to 秋月in福岡県....where the blossoms were out!