The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, also known as Hanami, is a feature of traditional Japanese culture. This is a popular custom favored by Japanese people. During the blooming season, local people will gather with family and friends under the canopy of cherry blossom trees to relax and enjoy the spring weather. For tourists, viewing cherry blossoms is always one of the most popular experiences when traveling to Japan.
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The Festival usually takes place in late March and early April, when the cherry blossoms reach their peak bloom. On this occasion, I chose to visit Yumemigasaki Zoological Park in Kawasaki City, where I could see both the cherry blossoms and the animals. It is located on a hill about a 10-minute walk from Shin-Kawasaki station. Because it was the weekend, a lot of people came here to see the cherry blossoms and the atmosphere was very bustling.
Cherry blossoms bloom in the park creating a truly beautiful scene. Everyone spread out tarpaulins, set up tents under the cherry blossom trees, and talked happily together. I also immersed myself in this happy atmosphere.
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There are more than 50 species of animals in the zoo, including ring-tailed lemurs, mountain zebras, penguins, monkeys and red pandas... There are also rare animals that I have never seen in real life. I enjoyed watching it without getting bored.
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Unlike other zoos whose admission fees are quite high, this park is completely free. Every weekend, there are many families with their children coming here to visit. This is really a good experience for little kids to understand more about animals.
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When you reach the highest point of the park, you can see the entire city below. The scenery was so beautiful, it made me feel so refreshed and relaxed.
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I really like the atmosphere of the cherry blossom festival. For me, this trip was very interesting and an unforgettable memory.
Trainee in 2024, Ngo Dang Chung