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Friday, March 11, 2016

The land awakening in March

Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.”


 
- At the Native Plants Garden of Kyoto Prefecture Botanical Garden -
"Setsubun-so", or Shibat eranthis pinnatifida Maxim, was named so 
because they bloom around “setsubun”, the day before the beginning of spring in lunar calendar.


Hepatica Noble's var. japonica f. magna(オオミスミソウ), generally called Hepatica




In nature, life's coming and going is inevitable.
The translucent films resembling the butterfly wing had been made since the last summer.
They show a warm patina with age.



The sprightly crocus blossoms always make me sure spring is on the way.



In the water-colored wood, Daurian redstar sings merrily before flying back north Siberia
for breeding in early spring.

"Jobitaki", or Daurian redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) 




Doves would hardly be able to wait for the springtime.



Repeating cold days and warm days in turn, the land is awakening with spring around the corner.

"Ume", or Japanese apricot; floral harbinger of spring


Five years have passed since The Great East Japan earthquake (3.11, 2011) which devastated coastal Tohoku region. As far as I learn from the media, the condition of victims' lives doesn’t seem to be so much improving. Many people still live in temporary housing and their city close to the nuclear power plants is still gray zone for living without clear answer from the government. No matter how harsh the conditions, spring for sure has visited the region to cheer up the people but not the spring in real life yet.


Pray for the Tohoku people the real spring sooner,
when laughter passes over that land with flood of joy after long, long perseverance.



Linked to Through My Lens


37 comments:

  1. 早いでしょ~~コメント!
    金曜は義理母、弟の世話で一番タイトな日なのですが、寝る前にパソコン開いたとたんに、すぐ見つけましたよ。早いものでもう東北の震災から5年経ってしまいました。復興が目に見えて進んでいる様には見えません。5年の月日の中で私達家族にも色々な変化が有ったことを思うと、被害を受けた方々の、この5年の月日はどんなに大変で辛いものだったか、わかるような気持ちがします。
    6番目のお写真、地面から勢いよく空に向かって咲くクロッカス、元気そうですね。東北の方々に届けたいお花の写真です。では又、おやすみなさい。

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  2. Vilken underbar vår du bjuder mig på. Här längtar jag så efter den.Vi har ganska mycket snö kvar efter sista snövädret då det kom mycket.Nu får jag försöka få lite vår här inne istället. Planterar om pelargoner och sätter frön allt för att framkalla lite vårkänsla. Solen lyser idag och vi har 6 grader varmt så våren är på väg även om det är trögt.
    Ha en fin och solrik helg
    Kram Meta

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  3. The Daurian redstart is a pretty bird.The orange and black colouring is a good contrast.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the comment. I tried to leave a comment on your latest post but I stopped as I don't use Google+ and I’m reluctant to add a comment with my full name. Your garden is always brightly colorful. The fresh yellow flowers made me cheerful and the baby bird is so cute. I'm sorry no direct comment on your blog in spite of your kind comment from time to time. Have happy days ahead.

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  4. Beautifully with you waking spring. These beautiful flowers and the beautiful birds. I am waiting for spring with us with longing. Regards.

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  5. Keeping Tohoku region and all of Japan in my heart today. Five years...
    Mary

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Mary. Five years must be tremendous long time for those who are suffering, though time seems to have passed so fast.

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  6. I do adore your photos! All of them are just great!

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  7. These are lovely scenes of a new season beginning. We live in a world where serious solutions to serious problems need to bud as profusely as the flowers of spring. The natural world brings joy in spring and can cover up deficiencies. But the atmosphere will produce no flowers at all one day if good solutions do not sprout more quickly. Leaders need to be repeatedly cajoled into better more effective action it seems. This post is a great reminder of that.

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  8. Wow ! These are beautiful flowers. Such a nice post; enjoyed going through it.
    Lovely pictures :)

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  9. such a lovely blessing:
    Pray for the Tohoku people the real spring sooner,
    when laughter passes over that land with flood of joy after long, long perseverance.
    I add my prayer to yours.

    such beautiful glimpses of spring, thank you. It will be a while until we are blooming.

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  10. What magical spring shots!

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  11. I feel for all those people. I do hope their life will change for the better soon. This contrast by the end of your post makes us value what we have and cherish the fleeting moments of joy.
    Spring IS a joy, no matter that there are no visual signs of it in our region. Thanks a million, Yoko, for a generous portion of spring colours and smells. Wonderful pictures – all of them! And redstarts are just adorable!!! I can’t explain, I just love them and their lovely Japanese name “Jobitaki”.
    Please, feel good and energetic and inspired by spring air, Yoko.
    With best wishes to you and sweet memories of Nara.
    Irina

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  12. Doctor Boris saw the posts on this page and was also impressed by their beauty. Especially, by the illuminated traditional garden we've visited. He sends you gratitude and best regards. Thanks again, Yoko!

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Irina! I was thrilled with this imagination; the Redstart I saw would have been seen or would be seen by you in your place from spring to autumn. I'm glad Dr. Boris saw my blog. Give my best regards to him.

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    2. Dear Yoko, I would like to thank you for the pictures you sent - they are lovely! Was there our hotel in the background?
      I've got problems with my computer after reinstalling, a most annoying result! Stuck with my work and blogging. Hope to work it out soon. I wish you to never have such problems! Hope to hear from you soon, enjoy your spring!

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  13. I am fascinated by all the incredibly heart-warming sights in nature that you show us with this blog, the delicate flowers of the spring and the pretty little birds flood joy in the gates of my heart. I send positive thoughts and prayers to the affected people of Tohuku, I hope their life changes for the better very very soon. Much warmth and love to you!

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  14. こんばんは。もう五年ですね。天災と言うより人災の面が強いですね。「花は咲く」と心から歌える日が被災者の方に一日も早く来ればと思います。
     植物園に行かれたのですか、セツブンソウ、美しいです。

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  15. Gorgeous pictures to celebrate Spring !!!!
    Have a nice weekend !
    Anna

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  16. It's hard to believe - five years since the earthquake. It sounds as though people still suffer from that devastation. I look forward to seeing your photos of the Japanese Ume blossoms each year - one of the most lovely harbingers of spring. Here in Breckenridge, small snow storms are forecast for this week. Our early warm spell has melted much snow.

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  17. beautiful blooms and birds. you always share such beauty here. may the people who suffered losses in the terrible quake find hope for the future.

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  18. お久しぶりです。素晴らしい写真ですね。 私は一番最初の写真が好きです。 本当にきれいに撮れているので、欲しがる人も多いのでは?

    ’片づけの魔法’で、片づけをしてますが、毎日何かの邪魔(?)が入るので、途切れ途切れです、、、まあ、だれかの為に運転してあげるとか、風邪にかかっている人に、食事を持って行ったりとボランティア的なものが多いです。 早く終わって、人生を楽しみたいです。 もうすぐ日本です。 その前に痩せたいのです。 そんなに太ってはいませんが、一般的に日本の女性が痩せていて、自分がおデブちゃんに思えてきます。 関係ない事をだらだら書きました、すみません。

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  19. What a joyous post, filled with the harbingers of spring and the possibilities of new life rising out of the old. And your photographs are again worthy of much emulation and praise. So many beautiful things. And thank you, Yoko, for your generous and interesting comments on Ocala! They are very much appreciated. My best wishes to you and your family as the weather warms the hearts of those who have felt the chill of many winters.

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  20. Looks like spring is well on it's way in your part of Japan. I like the small anemone type flowers. Apparently pigeons have a long breading season (so my son tells me!). Our feral and wood pigeons bread in all seasons,but I think this will depend on the weather. I look forward to seeing your cherry blossom......

    Have a happy week Yoko,
    Ruby

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  21. that is lovely! Here in Finland we still have lot of snow

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  22. A week of spring the earth begins to give life, Yoko
    For here there is also explosion of color.
    Beautiful pictures
    Good week
    Besos.

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  23. Beautiful spring shots! Looking forwards...

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Villrose, for your visit and a comment.

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  24. These images call to the hope and are a nice honoring to the people of Tohuku who lives through a hard situation and surely they work for change in the pulse of the day day. I add to your prayer contemplating the beauty of your photographs.

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  25. the blossomis sopretty and the Redstartis a gorgeous colour

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  26. Such gorgeous spring views of the flowers and the redstart and doves! Loved the quote as well. Sad that the people of the earthquake region are still having terrible problems. Yes, we should keep them in prayer! Their lives should come to be as beautiful as these images!

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  27. Lovely flowers. My spot on the earth is full of snow as you can see in my blog.

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  28. I love your bird shots and the lovely, delicate flowers. Spring is a time of joy as the days get longer and growth begins anew.

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  29. Spring is a wonderful resurgence of Nature. I love all your pics especially the redstart Daurian, I love small birds so much! Our spring began with rain and thunderstorms...Keeping Tohoku people in my heart.
    Have a nice week and a Happy Easter!
    Hugs and love from Portugal,
    Ana Love Craft
    www.lovecraft2012.blogspot.com


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  30. こんにちわ 

    まだまだ寒い中、淡い感じの色合いが早春を感じさせてくれます。 
    鳥を撮るのはとても難しいですが、すごくいい姿をキャッチできていますね。


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  31. Dear Yoko,

    happy Easter Greeting from Germany to Nara, Japan!

    Easter seems to be a religious festival not celebrated in Japan, right???

    Nevertheless - we are both chasers for the harbingers of spring. The goals (flowers, blossoms, nature) look slightly different in Germany and Japan, but the way to the goals and the pleasure after reaching the goals is the same!

    So all the best from the other side of the world - I wish you always good light during your next chase after the beauties of your region!

    Uwe.

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  32. I thought about the people of Japan on March 11.... I can never forget the date of the earthquake and tsunami as it occurred on my Father's birthday.
    Beautiful spring images.... I am envious. Today, here in my corner of Canada.... SNOW! and ICE! Please hurry up, spring!

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