The Kitanomaru Park (including the Nippon Budokan and the Chidorigafuchi boating area) is part of the Imperial Palace grounds open to the public and one of the most popular venues to view the cherry blossoms.
I was to find out how popular when we decided to stop by last Sunday afternoon. I was told this was one of the most romantic spots in Tokyo in the spring.
We took the JR train to Ichigaya and decided to take a leisurely stroll towards the park. A block away, we noticed that on the opposite side of the street where the park entrance was, the people were barely moving. It appears that the park has reached maximum capacity and there was nothing romantic about that. The crowd extended to the overpass.
We abandoned all plans to view the sakura that day. Two days later, it seems like we just imagined the throngs of people. The cherry blossoms were still beautiful, if not, more beautiful now that we can view them without being squished.
Getting there
Kudanshita is the nearest station and is served by the Hanzomon, Tozai and Shinjuu Lines.
