The last flower viewing of the century will be here and gone in a matter of weeks.

Whether you choose to revel all night with coworkers armed with sake, beer and karaoke, or choose to stroll alone -- again, with sake or beer in hand -- it's time to put everything aside, find your own beautiful nook under the trees and reflect upon the passage of time.

Aoyama Cemetery, a minute walk from Nogizaka Station on the Chiyoda subway line, may seem like an unlikely place for a moonlit stroll. But its almost 90 cherry trees create a tunnel of blossoms that stretch from Akasaka High School almost to Roppongi-dori.

About 100,000 people visited Asukayama Park in Kita Ward last year, where about 650 cherry trees cluster one minute from JR Oji Station on the Keihin Tohoku Line. Some 280 years ago, Tokugawa Yoshimune, the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, visited here during the season.

Crowds also flock daily to drink under a canopy of pink in Ueno Park in Taito Ward. About 1.5 million visitors were counted last year in this park, where some 1,100 cherry trees bloom close together.

Sumida Park, located along the Sumida River near the Ginza subway line's Asakusa Station, also has about 1,000 trees. The park will hold a "sakura" festival through April 15.

Other major sites include: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden near Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station on the Marunouchi Line, with about 1,500 trees; Kinuta Park, a 20-minute walk from Yoga Station on the Tokyu Shin-Tamagawa Line, with 1,100; and Yoyogi Park near JR Harajuku Station, with about 880.

The easiest way to avoid the crowds, of course, is to visit the parks early in the morning. But as this is usually easier said than done, there are also plenty of options off the beaten track for those who like to sleep in.

International Christian University, a 20-minute bus ride from JR Mitaka or Musashisakai stations, features a 600-meter long avenue lined with majestic cherry trees starting at the school's front gate. About 100 trees create an arcade of white cherry flowers along the path, dubbed "the runway."

For a new look at Ikebukuro, visit Honyoji Temple on the east side of the JR station, where about 20 cherry trees line the approach to the temple. Also on its grounds is a majestic shidare-zakura, which will bloom slightly later, if you miss the peak cherry blossom season.

Or stroll along the Meguro River, where about 770 cherry trees stretch over 4 km from Ikejiri Ohashi Station on the Shin-Tamagawa Line all the way to JR Meguro Station.

The best bet may be to find your own tree-lined street on your way to work. One such avenue is the 2.5-km stretch from the south gate of JR Kunitachi Station to JR Yagawa Station along Daigaku-dori and Sakura-dori.

According to the Meteorological Agency, cherry blossoms will start blooming in the Tokyo area Friday.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is offering a cherry blossom information service, updated weekly, through April 13 at (03) 5320-5372, or check out these Web pages: http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/ or http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/ Cherry tree varieties

Someiyoshino -- The most abundant cherry tree in Japan, the Someiyoshino holds dozens of large, pinkish-white blossoms on every twig before leaves appear. It takes about 20 years for these trees, which grow to a height of 7 meters, to mature.

Yama-zakura -- One of the oldest varieties in Japan, the Yama-zakura grows wild and bears flowers that bloom after the leaves grow. The 12th-century priest and poet Saigyo is thought to have written of this species when he wrote: How I wish I could die/ in the springtime under the cherry blossoms/ in the light of the full moon/ in the month of Kisaragi.

Shidare-zakura -- Easy to spot, this variety is easy to spot by its long branches that hang down vertically, covered with mono-layer petals, that may be pink or red.

Sato-zakura -- Also known as "yae-zakura," these blossoms bloom later than other varieties. Its flowers range from pink to yellowish green.