esday here felt like ground zero for spring. The weather was lovely. Schools were on spring break. Families were everywhere viewing cherry blossoms. The city was white with petals.
In Bunkyo, a northern district of Tokyo, the attractions were many. Ueno Park, the most popular site for picnicking under sakura, the cherry trees, is nearby. Next to the main metro stop in Bunkyo is the Tokyo Dome, a famed venue for baseball and rock concerts. Across from it is an amusement park with a spectacular roller coaster looping over a shopping district and Bunkyo Civic Hall.
Yet with all those diversions, families flocked to the concert hall. March 31 is Orchestra Day in Japan. Every orchestra in the country puts on family-friendly concerts with inexpensive tickets.