In Tokyo Cherries are in full bloom now.

Let me introduce some easy-access sakura places for busy persons like businessmen and mileage runners.

Ichigaya Moat (市ヶ谷堀）
Absolutely 0 min. walk from a station as you can see these cherry blossoms from a train, that is Chuo Line local service between Ichigaya and Iidabashi.

Ichigaya Sakura by abuckingham, on Flickr


Chidorigafuchi （千鳥ヶ淵）
2 min. from Kudanshita subway station.
My favorite. No vendors and parties allowed here. So relatively quiet.
pictures -> http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=chidorigafuchi+&f=hp

Chidorigafuchi (千鳥ケ淵周辺) during the Cherry Tree Blossom Season - Chiyoda, Tokyo by twiga_swala, on Flickr

Meguro River (目黒川）
2 min. from Nakameguro subway/Tokyu Toyoko line station.
I went there yesterday. I saw many foreigners in small groups. Maybe because of lots of beer/ cocktail /food vendors or its proximity to Roppongi.

Tokyo by lijunlaopo, on Flickr

I've done the Ichigaya-Iidabashi walk myself. It's pleasant at anytime, but after living in Tokyo, I began to realize why Japanese people are so crazy about cherry blossoms. They add a touch of beauty and grace to a cityscape where the predominant colors are gray, black, and white.

I've always liked the ones along the backroads near Akasaka Mitsuke, by 5khours favorite Hotel Okura. With all of the hills, you can really see the sakura spread out far and wide.

Aoyama Bochi is pretty cool too. Especially the view from the Mori tower. A sea of pink from above.

Thanks, heilstorm. Did you mean the ones near Hotel New Otani?

Thanks, Pickles. Is public access available to the levels where you can enjoy the cherry sea ?

I remember Ueno Park as being lovely, albeit very crowded.

No, I meant Hotel Okura. It's the station that I seemed to have messed up from memory (Roppongi Icchome?)

O sora public access was permitted when I walked through this past Sunday ^ !

For the price of admission, anyone can go up to the Tokyo City View level.

Mori Building Co. has several Mori Towers　e.g. Hirakawacho Mori Tower, Holland Hills Mori Tower,etc. I guess you mentioned Roppongi Hills Mori Tower.

Thank you,NickW. It must be this. http://www.roppongihills.com/tcv/en/

Q Shoe Guy, you walked through the Aoyama Bochi cemetery? ^

Yes, my walk began at Shiba Koen and then continued via Roppongi (new Art Galery) and the Aoyama Bochi to Omotaesando. It was a great walk...

I'm not sure what I enjoy more...looking at lots of sakura at the peak season, or finding a late-blooming sakura days after I'd thought I'd seen the last one.

Meanwhile, the media was allowed a glimpse at the most exclusive sakura tunnel in Japan...that within the now forbidden city of Tomioka.

we don't arrive until 10 May - tokyo - Hakone- Kyoto
any chance at all we will still see blossoms?

Cherry blossoms? Zero.

To see cherry blossoms in May, you'd have better luck in Hokkaido--maybe. From what my Tokyo-based friends tell me, the cherry blossoms are already on their way out.