Around 20 years in the past, Nakameguro was nonetheless one among Tokyo’s much less well-known cherry blossom viewing locations. That’s now not the case, although, because it’s turn out to be one of many metropolis’s hottest sakura spots, significantly with a younger grownup crowd that flocks to the tree-lined streets that run alongside the edges of the Meguro River. The foods and drinks distributors are a bit fancier than what you’ll normally discover at cherry blossom venues, and the big variety of trendy cafes, pubs, and eating places close by make for a straightforward segue into an after-blossoming-viewing celebration or date, as does the truth that Shibuya is only a fast two-stop prepare experience away.
Last 12 months some 2.3 million individuals visited Nakameguro throughout cherry blossom season, and the crowds aren’t anticipated to be any smaller this 12 months, particularly with a number of days of rain for the reason that opening of the flowers more likely to funnel a big proportion of tourists into the neighborhood on the times when the climate is obvious.
Nakameguro goes to look a bit completely different this 12 months, although, because the neighborhood has put up massive opaque screens to dam the view of the cherry blossoms from one the preferred positions to see them from. As proven within the video under, the bridge closest to Nakameguro Station now has massive, opaque banners stretching throughout its sides. Though the pink colour imparts a little bit of springtime cheer, the messages written on them say “No stopping” and “One-way,” commanding a ceaseless and unidirectional circulate of pedestrians alongside every sidewalk.
Because there are cherry blossom bushes on either side of the river, the bridge, ordinarily, supplies a line of sight which heaps you are taking within the full scale of the surroundings, and the way in which the branches from reverse sides stretch out in direction of one another over the water, it additionally makes for a fantastic picture backdrop for footage with buddies or selfies. However, in contrast to many different well-known Tokyo cherry blossom venues, corresponding to Ueno Park, Nakameguro’s bushes aren’t positioned inside an area that was designed to accommodate an enormous quantity of foot visitors. The streets from which the cherry blossoms might be seen are kind of alleyways working behind and between varied companies and residences. The bridges’ sidewalks aren’t significantly broad, so throughout cherry blossom season individuals typically find yourself standing on the street as they wait or shuffle to get one of many prime spots to take footage from. Since the bridges assist join elements of the neighborhood with one another, although, residents and employees nonetheless want to have the ability to drive throughout them, so having crowds spilling off the sidewalks presents a security difficulty, which prompted the native shopkeeper affiliation to make the troublesome option to, for the primary time, put up the view-blocking screens.
The resolution is harking back to what occurred within the Yamanashi Prefecture city of Fujikawaguchiko. In 2024, unanticipated vacationer crowds coming to see the view of Mount Fuji rising from behind a comfort retailer overwhelmed the stretch of sidewalk from the place it may very well be seen, and so black screens had been put in to dam the view of the mountain.
Image: SoraNews24
In the part of the above video the place native residents are interviewed, one man mentions that “there are a lot of foreigners,” however talking from private expertise, the riverside streets throughout cherry blossom seasons had been already very congested, and with a majority-Japanese crowd, lengthy earlier than Japan’s present inbound overseas vacationer growth, even when the neighborhood has lengthy been standard among the many expat neighborhood. The video additionally mentions growing concern about litter within the neighborhood throughout cherry blossom season, however the shopkeeper affiliation doesn’t cite this as a motive for the view-blocking screens.
It’s price noting that the plan at the moment appears to be solely to have the screens on the bridge closest to Nakameguro Station, the first entry level for guests to the neighborhood, and views from the streets alongside the river, in addition to the opposite bridges, seem to stay unobstructed. However, we’ve already seen one metropolis in Japan select to cancel its cherry blossom festivities completely due to overcrowding-related unhealthy manners, so if you’re headed out to Nakameguro to benefit from the sakura, bear in mind to maintain it transferring on the primary bridge, and to maintain it stylish in every single place.
Source: Teleasa News
Read extra tales from SoraNews24.
— Japan’s most well-known Mt. Fuji view park cancels cherry blossom competition due to overtourism
— Cherry blossom events allowed at Tokyo’s hottest sakura spots for first time since pandemic
— Solo cherry blossom viewing — 30 % of younger males in survey plan to see sakura alone【Survey】
- External Link
-
https://soranews24.com/2026/03/28/famous-tokyo-cherry-blossom-spot-installs-view-blocking-screens-to-fight-overcrowdingvideo/
© SoraNews24