Sakura Ride Plan: A new way to see the best cherry blossom sites in Tokyo

Hanami flower-viewing doesn’t get much better than this.

Sakura season is in full swing in Tokyo right now, which means the city streets are filled with blooms…and hordes of tourists. If crowds aren’t your thing, though, there’s a way you can escape them while still enjoying the blossoms, thanks to a new private chauffeur service called the Sakura Ride Plan.

The service, which began last month, is aimed at international tourists, but it’s also convenient for locals with seasonal allergies, as large amounts of cedar and cyprus pollen are currently wreaking havoc on people’s immune systems. Our reporter Ahiruneko is one such person who suffers from allergies at this time of year, so he was thrilled to find out this service exists, immediately putting his hand up to trial it and give us a full report.

▼ His journey began in an underground parking lot in Tokyo, where he was picked up by…

▼ …

▼ … a top-class model Lexus!

The Lexus LM, Toyota’s top-of-the-line vehicle, would be Ahiruneko’s private car for the day, and just seeing it pull up beside him instantly made him feel like a V.I.P.

The Sakura Ride Plan is a new offering from Tokyo Chauffeur Service, a premium-hire company jointly run by Minato-based media company News Technology and prominent taxi company Daiwa Motor Transportation.

With your exclusive private driver behind the wheel, the tour takes in Tokyo’s top sakura cherry blossom sites over a three-hour period.

The route changes depending on the flowering status of the sakura, to ensure you see the best cherry blossoms possible on the day. Ahiruneko’s trip would take him to Meiji-dori in Ebisu, Sakurazaka in Roppongi and Edo Sakura-dori in Nihonbashi.

▼ Soon after exiting the parking lot, Ahiruneko found himself immediately enjoying the beauty of the blossoms.

The blossoms weren’t just outside the window — they were here in the vehicle with him too, on a super large screen behind the driver’s seat.

Speaking of the driver, he was friendly, professional and happy to answer all of Ahiruneko’s questions about the sites they were seeing.

▼ English-speaking drivers are available for overseas visitors.

The backseats are super roomy, with plush, comfortable seating and plenty of leg room.

As they set out in search of the cherry blossoms, Ahiruneko found his attention was torn between the views outside and the gorgeous sakura scene playing out on the screen before him.

▼ The photos don’t do justice to the impressive, immersive nature of this giant screen.

▼ Delving into the slot beside his seat, Ahiruneko pulled something out…

▼…and was impressed to find it was a little table.

Ahiruneko received another surprise when he discovered he was able to adjust his seat by using the touchscreen display on the middle console.

▼ “Whoa..”

The tilt on his seat was fantastic, and he couldn’t resist fiddling with things just a little bit more.

▼ “Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoaaaaa!”

Ahiruneko’s feet were now up in the air, with his body pretty much horizontal. It was a luxury recline he’d never experienced before in a vehicle, and it was so comfortable he began to fear he might doze off and miss the blossoms.

▼ So he straightened himself up again, feeling more relaxed than ever before, and opened his eyes to find…

▼ …they’d arrived at Meiji-dori in Ebisu.

There was a light drizzle as they drove along the sakura-lined street but it didn’t detract from the beauty of the blossoms. For Ahiruneko, this was an ideal cherry blossom-viewing environment, free from rain, pollen, and crowds.

However, there was a way to make this view even more magical, by pressing the “roof shade” control above his seat.

This switch opened the sunroof, giving him a spectacular view of the flowers above, as if he were at a hanami cherry blossom-viewing picnic. 

Next stop, Roppongi’s Sakurazaka, where Ahiruneko jumped out in excitement at a special spot that was free from crowds.

Then it was on to Nihonbashi’s Edo Sakura-dori, the final stop on his private cherry blossom tour. 

It was another perfect sakura experience, but the best was yet to come, when he jumped back inside and took notice of something he hadn’t yet explored on the floor in front of him.

▼ It was a tiny refrigerator!

Stocked with sakura beer and pink champagne, this was the perfect way to end the trip. Available as an add-on option, the bubbly drinks come with cherry blossom sweets and snacks for a truly V.I.P. experience.

▼ Ahiruneko was tempted to try some of the Sankt Gallen sakura beer…

▼ …but he decided to go more upmarket with a glass of pink champagne instead.

As he sipped his bubbly while gazing out at the sakura on his return journey, Ahiruneko felt thoroughly spoilt. It was a luxury hanami cherry blossom-viewing experience, and when it came time to step out of the vehicle and bid farewell to his driver, he felt a tinge of sadness, not unlike the melancholy that comes at the end of sakura season, when we realise the fleeting nature of the flowers…and life in general.

Like the flowers, the Sakura Ride is fleeting, as it’s only available until the end of April.

The good news is, there are plans to keep the service going year after year, so if you miss out this time around, you can always make a reservation next year. You’ll have to have deep pockets to enjoy the ride, though, as prices start at 56,000 yen (US$384.79). For those of us on a tighter budget, these cherry blossom taxi tours are much more affordable.

Related: Tokyo Chauffeur Service
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