Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2009

Junichi Kawada, 28, shop assistant

	The flea market/skateboarding area near Meiji Jingu. I like this space because we can play and appreciate the cherry blossoms at the same time
	I always try to remember to bring a change of clothes because I get sweaty from the skateboarding. Also, we always end up pouring beer over each other at the end of the night
	When I was a student, I went to hanami with colleagues at my part-time job, and we got absolutely wasted. I tried to go home on a motorbike, but that didn’t last very long. We all decided to sleep in the park like homeless people, freezing our asses off

Shingo Sasaki, 35, apparel-related work

	There is a long esplanade near Shimokitazawa called the “Kitazawa River green walk.” It’s dimly lit at night, and I really enjoy taking that route when I’m going home from work
	A portable fireplace
	I walked along the sakura road in Shimokitazawa with my then girlfriend, and at the end of the walk through the sakura trees, we decided to break up

Takuji Kinoshita, Freelance writer, 44

	It’s kind of out of the way, but I really love the sakura at Mizumoto Park in Katsushika-ku
	My friends and I always seem to forget to bring a corkscrew for the wine. I must have four or five of them at home because we have to buy a new one every year!
	I’ve never had anything really horrible happen, but some years it’s been so cold at night that no matter how much I drink I just can’t seem to get a buzz going

Satoshi Kuge, 25, college student

	I like to walk along Nakano Dori and Tetsugakudo Park in Nakano
	Just in case you need extra ground sheets, take newspapers—they’re good enough when you’re drunk
	I climbed a sakura tree in a park when I was young, and I had to be rescued by policemen

“Miya,” Student, 20

	I grew up in Saitama, and I always thought the most beautiful sakura could be seen in Hasuda City from the Tohoku line. You can only see them for a few seconds because the train is moving so fast—but wow!
	We always forget our plastic tarps too. But instead of sitting on bags we just end up standing
	When I was in middle school, one of my friends got really trashed during hanami, and some neighbors called the cops on us!

Hiromichi Yazu, 28, hairstylist

	I really like Asukayama Park by Oji station
	A 1.8l bottle of sake. No one can be bothered to carry such heavy bottles to hanami, so we usually take cans of beer or some such. But we always regret not having enough booze
	One year, I had the worst hangover the next day—I woke up alone in a sprawl on the floor of my flat, and I had no recollections of how I got home