Here's a quick introduction to the Hato Bus Company: They're Tokyo's oldest tour bus operator. They cart holidaymakers around the country -- sometimes to far-flung places, sometimes to Roppongi Hills. They're a wonderful way to palm off guests from overseas, at least for a day. They make you wear bright stickers, because sometimes you don't look conspicuous enough scuttling in a pack behind a flag-waving guide. They once offered a "hotpot and topless dancing tour." Really!
I missed that one, but The Japan Times kindly booked me onto Hato Bus' inaugural English language hanami tour. We're going to Tokyo's most charming neighbors -- Enoshima and Kamakura -- followed by a visit to Yokohama's Sankeien Japanese garden. We're off to view Japan's revered cherry blossoms.
We won't have time to sit on tarpaulin and toast the scenery, but we're looking forward to seeing a trio of the most scenic spots in the area. My fellow sightseers include a pair of Australian siblings on a 10-day tourist trip, a very jolly Japanese trainee tour guide in search of some pointers, and a Silicon Valley computer engineer who feels indifferent about cherry blossoms, but is looking forward immensely to seeing the Great Buddha of Kamakura.