Friday, April 3, was spent at Shinjuku Park. From the bottom left are red and white cherry blossoms, Pearl with the mob at the Park and the Park Hyatt in the background.
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There are signs and announcements warning that alcohol cannot be consumed on these grounds. But there is no enforcement and we contributed to the festivities to complement our bento lunch.
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Our assessment is that the blossoms are not yet at peak here, but this should occur in a few days. Today, we're off to Ueno Park, where reports are that the ultimate has been attained. Today being a Saturday in Japan, the crowd should be at a particular max.
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In reference to the photo above, taken after our dinner at the New York Grill at the top of the Park Hyatt, the Search for Kenjiro's Grandmothers team involves Fumio Ito of Nauru OTEC fame, Taka Ota, also with that project, Pearl, Kenji Hotta (professor at Nihon University), Hiromi Hotta, originally from Otaru, and me.
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For anyone contemplating using the Japan Rail Pass. First, you need to pay for the exchange order before you start your trip. Second, after getting to Japan, you must obtain the actual pass at a JR Travel Service Center located at major stations. Bring your passport. You can then make your seat reservations at this location. Should you have a schedule change, just exchange your ticket for another one. There is no additional charge for adjustments. While not particularly cheap, just one trip to Sapporo and back from Tokyo just about pays for three weeks of Green Car (first class) service where you can take as many trips as possible during that period.
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The Dow Jones Industrials went up 40 to 8018. This has been the best 4 week winning streak in 70 years, all the more surprising, as the unemployment rate is now at 8.5%, the highest level in 25 years. Oil did not change much and gold dropped below $900/toz to $892.
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