The blue sea of Nemophila by the Sea of Osaka

 Nemophilla Festival was held for the first time this year at Osaka Maishima Seaside Park 

located right in front of the Osaka Bay.

In 2014, I posted about flowering lilies at this place. 

(Flowering lilies by the sea at Maishima Island)

Unfortunately the lilies got salt damage extensively caused by the typhoon 24 of the last autumn.

 Nemophilla replaced them this year.

The blue sea of Nemophila by the sea of Osaka.

 Nemophilla reminded me of “Sky-blue Flowers” by Misuzu Kaneko 

when I saw them for the first time in 2011.

I posted this post, Sky-blue Flowers - World of Misuzu Kaneko

Sky-Blue Flowers

(Misuzu Kaneko/translated by D.P.Dutcher)

Listen close, you little flowers,

Color of the blue, blue sky.

Around here there used to be

A pretty black-eyed girl,

Always looking at the sky

Like I was just doing now.

Dawn to dusk the blue sky

Shining in her eyes,

They turned one day to little flowers

That even now watch the sky.

If what I say is right, why,

Flowers, you must know

More about the real true sky

Than wise professors do.

I’m always looking at the sky

And thinking lots and lots

But what’s real and true I don’t know.

I bet you see it all and do.

Wise flowers don’t say a thing,

Just keep looking at the sky.

Those blue eyes, sky-dyed,

Still aren’t tired of watching.

(Original Japanese  空色の花　here)

The wise sky-dyed flowers don't standout when with other flowers,
letting others draw attention.
still keeping their uniqueness and originality.

A Mascot Character, Nemo-mew

Millions of Nemophila bloom from late-April to mid-May

as far as your eyes can see.

The blue colors of the sky, the sea, and Nemophilla,

each blueness enhances the hues of one another.

Amagasaki, Nishinomiya, and Kobe Cities are spreading beyond the sea, 

surrounding the Osaka Bay.

Maishima, one of the three man-mad islands in the Sea of Osaka, 

is a possible site for the proposed casino development.

As it is called Sports Island, there are stadiums for baseball and football,
 tennis courts, playing grounds, sites for auto camping and barbecuing, etc. 

I’m not sure if such a place like casino is necessary to boost the place.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Sakura season from prelude to finale

"Sakura" (cherry blossoms) were blooming in the bright sunshine and birds were singing
one day of mid-March.
When air is still chilly and wind is piercingly cold
 some early-blooming varieties of sakura bloom.
Prior to the arrival of spring, they enhance people's expectation for the warmth
and the full arrival of spring.

 Kawazu zakura

Kawazu-zakura is one of the earliest flowering sakura. 

The variety was originally cultivated at the Kawazu town in Izu Peninsula.

 Large numbers of them bloom during the Cherry Blossom Festival in Kawazu

 which is held annually from late February to early March. 

The tree is getting popular in other parts of Japan.

Karami zakura, or Cerasus pseudo-cerasus, native to China, also bloom early.

On the 28th of March, the first bloom of Somei-yoshino which is the most widely planted in Japan
 was declared by the local meteorological agency.
The beginning of sakura-viewing season!

Spring has come to Nara Park!

Sansha-ike, Kasugano-enchi

 Somei-yoshino

Kasugano-enchi

Mountain-cherry trees show flowers and leaves  at the same time 

Multiple-petaled Beni-yutaka

The Japanese Garden of Nara Kasugano International Forum Iraka

The branches of multi-petaled Beni-shidare are heavy with flowers and buds.

Wish the newly-weds their well-being through the veil of Yae-beni-shidare branches. 

Spring has come to my nice and quiet residential town, too!

The boy Y at the Sakura Park in my neighborhood

 Sakura is always there during the spring break of schools.
The girl Y who turned 6 on the 1^st of April walked proudly to the entrance ceremony 
of the elementary school with her brand-new brownish-wine colored "randosel".

Another Sakura Park in Y's neighborhood

In two weeks when the flowers whisper "We have to go,"

the curtain starts falling with confetti.
Thank you, Sakura, for enchanting and inspiring us.
See you next year!

Japanese sweets suggestive of sakura for refreshment
with the aftertaste of content and happiness of sakura  season.

Red bean paste is wrapped in “gyuhi” (a kind of rice cake) and then in a baked flour dough.

Crystal sugar candies.

Linked to Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday

Cheers to Hina Dolls and Womanhood!

"Yamato Hina Dolls Festival" heralds the early spring of the castle town, Yamato-Koriyama City.

At about 130 places, hina dolls of each era, Heisei, Showa, Taisho, Meiji,
and much older ones are displayed.

On a warm, sunny day I walked around the historical street of the city

meeting with hina dolls rich in pageantry.

 - At the Machiya-monogatari building, former Kawamoto residence -

Yamato-Koriyama is home to "machiya," or merchant town houses
of which front features wooden lattices.

I peeped into the inside of the residence through the latticed window. 

Inside the house, various different hina dolls were displayed in each room.

The top photo of this post is tiers of hina dolls accompanied by the hanging-hina of gold fish.
Gold fish is the principal products of the city.

Dolls are in the bamboos or on the staircase with elaborate plans.

The three-story structure (1913) worked as a licensed red-light hall till 1958.

Looking up from the courtyard

- At the Hakomoto building -

This place is a traditional dye workshop Konya

located at the craftsman's quarter where indigo dyeing was thriving in the past.

Hanging-hina is made by hand using old kimono cloths.

Hanging-hina doesn't require the big space for the arrangement 

and child can play by touching it.

All these ornaments are handmade.

- At Suzuki residence-

This pair of dolls is from the era of Kyoho (1716-1736),

the oldest I met during my walks.
They feature longer, slender faces and long-slit narrow eyes
according to the times they were made.

The third of March is Hinamatsuri, Dolls Festival, or Girls Festival.

Here's a small party to pray for the healthy growth of the girls 

and to celebrate womanhood at home.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Sorry, “Comments” is closed. The reason is as follows.

When I was going to post this post last week,  I was attacked by the sharp pains like electric shock around my left ear and back neck. At first a painkiller didn’t work at all. After careful examining, my doctor suspected it could be herpes zoster if red spots appear soon later or occipital neuralgia. It turned out to be the latter.  I think the cause would be long-term stiff shoulder, overly tight neck muscles. The pain has subsided gradually after three days of inexperienced intense electric-shot-like ones.  I've spent rested taking prescribed drugs including vitamin B12, heating my neck, doing stretch, and so on.  I'm getting better.

Thank you for your visit and reading this post. I’d like to return you as always, but I’ll avoid spending much time at this laptop for the time being.  Stay fit and healthy, my dear Friends.

Yoko