Welcome to Japan, welcome to Tokyo and welcome to cherry blossom time, well, sort of. The blossoms don't last for more than a week as it turns out. But there's a particular tree in this park that the seasonal experts use to herald in the cherry blossom season every April. When this particular tree over here goes into blossom then cherry blossom time is officially on and last week it blossomed.
But this week, as you can see for yourself, blossom time is almost over and you could say that that's a lot like the state of Japanese political affairs at the moment. Not looking too beautiful, not exactly flowering and this very Japanese building behind me, has got a lot to do with that.
Ironically, this park is also the location of the Yakusuni Shrine dedicated to Japanese servicemen including some of Japan's worst war criminals. Every year, Prime Minister Koizumi comes to this place. As many see it, his annual visit is a knowingly provocative act, guaranteed to offend Japan's war-time enemies, particularly the South Koreans and Chinese. But right now, quite apart from the running sore of the PM's shrine visits, relations between Japan and its increasingly powerful neighbour China are at boiling point.
In recent days tens of thousands of angry Chinese protesters have been venting their pent-up spleen against the Japanese over recently published textbooks that gloss over Japan's wartime atrocities.
Blatant Japanese rewriting of war history aside, the Chinese, and they're not alone, are fearful of Japanese moves to dump the so-called pacifist self-defence clause in their constitution that since the Second World War has barred them from having a regular army. They're also extremely wary at the prospect of Japan gaining a seat in UN Security Council. To the Chinese, Japan on the Security Council is just not on and to prove a point, the Chinese Premier himself Wen Jiabao has lent his voice to the protests.

WEN JIABAO, CHINESE PREMIER, (Translation): I think the core issue in China/Japan relationship is that the Japan needs to face up to the history squarely.

Japan tit-for-tatted with its own demand for an apology on Japanese nationals and property.

HIROYUKI HOSODA, JAPANESE CABINET SECRETARY, (Translation): Whatever the reasons, such violent activities cannot be forgiven.