Meguro River Cherry Blossoms

The Meguro River through Nakameguro is a straightened concrete channel a few metres wide, and about eight hundred somei-yoshino cherries are planted along both banks close enough to the edge that in flower their branches meet over the water. The effect is a tunnel of pink for roughly four kilometres, reflected in the channel below, and it has become the most photographed blossom spot in Tokyo after Ueno. Lanterns are strung along the banks and lit after dark, when the crowd shifts and the walk becomes a slow shuffle. Stalls sell sparkling wine dyed pink and street food from the doorways of the shops along the banks. Nakameguro itself is a good neighbourhood the rest of the year - small boutiques, coffee, secondhand shops along the same banks - and the walk works out of season as an ordinary pleasant one.

What's there

• A blossom tunnel - branches meeting over a narrow canal for about four kilometres.
• The reflection - the channel below doubling the flowers.
• Night lanterns - strung along both banks and lit after dark.
• The neighbourhood - boutiques and coffee along the same walk out of season.

When to go

Late March to early April, checking the bloom forecast. Two to three hours.

What to expect

The crowd during bloom is severe and the path narrows to single file in places. Bloom lasts about a week and shifts by year. The river itself is a concrete channel and not attractive without flowers. Evening litter and queues for stalls are heavy.

Nearby

Daikanyama is north-east; Shibuya is beyond it.