Alex Quinn's Japan Journal

4/9/2005, Cherry blossom (hanami) party in Aioi with Minato, Akemi, and others

Mr. Minato, the owner of the okonomiyaki restaurant I frequent, organized a hanami party.  Hanami just means watching the cherry blossoms.  We got together near my apartment in a cemetary with many cherry trees all around.  Akemi came to Aioi for the event.  There were also some other JET people and some Japanese folks who go to Mr. Minato's okonomiyaki joint.  We barbecued all kinds of meat and vegetables and drank beer and cocktails.

Cherry blossoms and alcohol go hand-in-hand in Japan.  The tradition is to have a picnic under the cherry trees and drink sake or other alcohol.  I brought fixins for martinis.

I've also noticed men in Japan and China like to take pictures of their wives and girlfriends.  I took part in that ritual, too.

Akemi, looking cute, up on the platform where we had our party.

The two of us in the party area.

Nassir, a JET teacher, lounging around.

Cherry blossoms.

Some other flowers we encountered in the cemetary.

Akemi, me, Nassir, Hiro, and Minato.

More pretty pictures of the pretty girl and the pretty tree.

More pretty pictures of the pretty girl and the pretty tree.

More pretty pictures of the pretty girl and the pretty tree.

Sorry I didn't take more pictures of the party itself.

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