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Monday, April 22, 2019

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 1st 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

34 comments:

  1. Such a gorgeous post - your photos are breathtaking and so lovely! All this pink made my day! :-)

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  2. Hello, the blossoms and trees are just gorgeous. Lovely series of photos. Happy Spring! Enjoy your day, have a great new week ahead!

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  3. Gorgeous pictures in a gorgeous park !!!
    Thanks for sharing this blooming Spring !!!
    Have a shinny week !
    Anna

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  4. You have captured the season and Sakura blossoms beautifully!

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  5. I think if I ever visited Nara Park, I’d feel right at home thanks to your bountiful pictures of this wonderful place during all seasons but particularly at blossom time. The little girl heading to school proudly is a good sign. I looked up the word randosel and learned it originated from ransel, a Dutch word for cotton bags imported to Japan in the late 19th century. In my world, they’re called knapsacks originally from the German rucksack. It seems it’s never too late to go to school or to discover we live in a global world. :)

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  6. Your cherry blossom is always a great delight to see Yoko - nobody does blossom like you do in Japan. One day may be I will get to see it.

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  7. Stardust - each picture was more entrancing than the last. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the cherry blossoms - beauty that we can still anticipate here in Montana. Thanks for linking these exquisite images and collages to Mosaic Monday!

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  8. your magical images make me speechless dear friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Nara park is like heaven on earth
    how lucky to live in such glorious surroundings!

    my eldest son has friend who lives in Japan since years and according to him once you go to Japan it holds you there ,and you don't want to come back because place has enriched with heavenly beauty and people are so generous

    now i can understand that people living in such splendid area must be so sweet and kind as they are gifted with grace of nature and this grace and beauty prevailed in their souls !

    glad to have your wonderful place and your beautiful soul as friend :)
    hugs!

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  9. Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Your photos are just gorgeous!

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  11. Paradise! Happy to be back in your unique world, Yoko, full of birds, children, blossoms. SPRING! Enough to feel happy and thankful, don't you think?
    We wish you healthier May and complete recovery.
    Irina and doctor B.

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  12. Replies
    1. Hi again Yoko,
      In my book blog Kirja vieköön! I'll post tomorrow about Hiro Arikawa's novel Wandering Cat Chronicles. I have searched in your blog, but cannot find that ice sculpture post with the Helsinki Cathedral. I would like so much to link to this Sakura post as well that telling about 100 years of Finland-Japan diplomatic relations. I did not find your email, that's why I ask here.

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  13. Hello Yoko: Your photographs of the sakura blossoms are very beautiful, and they give me hope that spring will eventually arrive here in my corner of Canada! We have had one or two warm days but today it is cold and grey skies. The sakura blossoms are such a friendly pink! There is a parke in Toronto called High Park where there are many cherry trees and people go to see the blossoms. Perhaps I will go to see them this year. Your little grandchildren are growing up. Little granddaughter Y is already 6 years old. Happy Birthday to her!

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  14. I'm glad to read Yoko again. I hope you are better and the pains are disappearing.
    The photos are impressive, it's a big spring explosion. The cherry trees are beautiful with so many flowers. Thanks for sharing.
    Te deseo una buena semana.
    Un abrazo.

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  15. Glorious ... thank you for sharing this perfect Spring beauty. I am happy to find you blogging again.

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  16. Gorgeous blossoms. I was trying to photograph them myself a few weeks ago but the results were not as pleasing as your images.

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  17. Hello Dear Yoko!
    I waited for your photos with blooming cherries.
    My unfulfilled dream is to get to know Nara Park.
    When the tree blooms it is phenomenal.
    Dear Yoko, thank you very much for seeing the blooming phenomenon.
    Hugs and greetings.
    Lucja

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  18. I always anticipate your sakura photos. Such delicate beauty to welcome spring. Birds, animals, and children seem to revel in the blooming. Happy Birthday to little Y - she has caught up to Sam (who now says he's 6 1/2...). Your treats in Japan are like works of art. Happy spring, Yoko! We leave for the beach on Monday.

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  19. こんにちわ。

    青空を背景に花びらの柔らかな色。 広い空間に人もまばらでゆっくり出来そうな公園ですね。
    寒い日が多かったので、随分長い間楽しめたことでしょう。


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  20. お孫さんの入学おめでとう!ワインカラーのランドセルをしょって満開の桜を見上げる姿。ナイスショットですよ。
    河津桜は早い時期に咲き始め、生命力ありそうだし色も鮮やかで好きです。
    Have a good weekend!

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  21. So lovely! I can almost smell the sweet scent of those blooms.
    My post features a “crab cruise” in LaConner, Washington State, USA.

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  22. Fabulous photos! I live in Shizuoka and the sakura are long gone, so it is nice to see them again on your blog.

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  23. What beautiful blooms! WOW! Happy Spring!

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  24. I came back to look again at the beauty of the Sakura....I’m so glad you shared. It was also lovely to see your happy family!

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  25. This one is excellent topic. I am very happy for your nice post. always i am waiting this type post. Thanks in advanced. :) :)
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  26. Good wishes to you and the people of Japan on the accession of your new Emperor Naruhitu, bringing in the new Reiwa era. A very exciting time for everyone. I hope your grandchildren will remember it as they grow up.

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    Replies
    1. Congratulations on Y's 6th birthday, on a very special day for everyone in Japan. Now you will never forget the date of his birthday!

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  27. As usual, beautiful pictures. And Y entering school! Oh my goodness! Congratulations to her. Nara Park looks warm and pleasant, but not too hot. I always like to see cherry blossom - my eye was caught by your picture of Beni-shidare. I also love so many other different kinds of blossom, too. Perhaps my favourite is jacaranda, with its curious and unusual colour. They don't like the climate in Britain much - I wonder if they're ever seen in Japan?

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  28. Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos.
    Two years ago I had the pleasure of being able to enjoy the blossoming Sakuras in Tokyo and Kyoto.
    Have a nice weekeend
    Maria
    Divagar Sobre Tudo um Pouco

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  29. Seeing and reading this I want to be a bird or school child among the flowers of the cherry trees, because something flies here and perches in the mood of those who see it, something full of primal and renewed energy.

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