The Meguro River runs through Nakameguro in a stone-walled channel, crossed by small bridges and lined for four kilometers by around 800 cherry trees that meet over the water. For ten days each spring, lanterns light the branches, the banks fill with stalls and the neighborhood becomes the most photographed hanami spot in Tokyo. The rest of the year it is a quiet promenade of coffee roasters, bakeries, small denim and ceramics shops and a few of the city’s most sought-after restaurants.
Walk it from the station toward Ikejiri-Ohashi, where the crowds thin and the shops get more interesting. In early April the petals fall into the water and drift in pink sheets, which is the real reason to come late in the season.
Tips
- For the cherry blossoms, come on a weekday evening in the last week of March; weekends are shoulder to shoulder
- Stalls sell pink sparkling wine and strawberries along the banks only during the festival
- Outside sakura season, walk south from the station toward Ikejiri for the quietest cafes and boutiques