The First Day of Spring???

It is Wednesday, March 21st… the first day of spring. Here in Tokyo, that is a holiday — Spring Equinox — and most people are off of work, and school. I think it is nice that Japan celebrates the seasons by declaring a holiday. It is just another way that they show appreciation to nature, and also… to workers all over the country.

My husband is off of work today, and when he is not working, we like to spend our time out and about exploring our (temporary) adopted country. We had planned to go out today and see the budding and blooming trees, and flowers. The Sakura bloom has not quite reached Tokyo. Yes… you see an occasional tree living in a sheltered location that has jumped early into the bloom, but most of the trees are still several days away from full flower. But, hanami season officially started last weekend. “Hana” in Japanese means flower, and the verb “miru” means to look at, or view. Flower viewing — hanami — is a really big deal here, with parties and get-togethers in all the parks, under the blooming Sakura trees, and among the other blooming plants and flowers.

But today — the first day of spring — instead of seeing this:

We are seeing this:

A cold and rainy — turned to snowy — day in Tokyo. Not a very good day to be out and about on foot. A late season snowstorm. Granted, it is too warm for any accumulation, but it is a nasty mess to walk around in. We did go out to the gym around the corner for a workout on the bike and treadmill, and we walked to the ramen shop near the station for a hot bowl of noodles for lunch, and a stop at the supermarket on the way home. But… I think that will be the extent of our adventures today. Makes me want to ask for a “holiday do-over!” Oh well… the weekend is coming, and the weather is supposed to dry out and warm up a bit. Spring is fickle… everywhere. Guess we will just curl up on the sofa and watch our YouTube fireplace this afternoon.