One of the many, many things I love about Japan is walking into a supermarket and noticing that there is a new themed section. Oh, so now it's time to make umeshu, and now it's girls day, and now it's time to eat ehomaki to ward off the evil spirits, and now it's time to eat 7 greens rice, and now it's time to plant your Goya summer green wall. There always seems to be a new themed section. You could almost get by in Japan without a calendar. Lately, if you walk into any 100yen shop or supermarket and you can find ohanami party items. Giant colourful leisure sheets, pretty patterned paper cups and plates, potato salad packed in pink and white sakura trays...Love you Japan!
Last year a few beer companies produced special 'Sakura' style packaging especially for spring. I was waiting and waiting for this one to appear in the supermarkerts this year, but the sakura is almost gone and I haven't seen a cherry blossom themed beer can at all this year! Such a shame! I look forward to that every year. It's like when Rummy starts coming on sale and you know that winter is only around the corner. But the good news is, the beer was still available, just not in the cute packaging.
Yoyogi koen is just over 10 minutes bike ride from Hello Sandwich HQ. I've worked out a way to avoid two hills by taking a picturesque detour via Yoyogi Uehara and Yoyogi Hachiman. During this sakura season, I went to Yoyogi Koen three times in four days. Each time for a very special and very different ohanami party.
