Sakura Album, 2026

The period from late March to the second week of April feels so fleeting every year. 

The reason lies in the blooming of 桜 Sakura; its peak is so short that we want to be present 

and appreciate the “now”.

The delicate and elegant beauty of Sakura blossoms is a moving expression of life, death, and rebirth. 

Impermanence is what makes life precious.

- One of the parks in my neighborhood, March 30th -

- Along the 佐保川 Saho River, April 2nd -

- 春日野園地 Kasugano-enchi, Nara Park, April 3rd -

-茶山園地 Chayama-enchi, Nara Park -

奈良の九重桜 Nara-no-kokonoe-zakura species

- Along the 賀茂川 Kamo River, Kyoto, April 6th -

Driving along the Kamo River, Kyoto, and celebrating my husband's birthday.

 Have you ever seen Sakura brizzard?

The falling petals are a spectacular finale that promises the cycle of life.

散るという  飛翔のかたち  花びらは  ふと微笑んで  枝を離れる 
- 俵万智 TAWARA Machi -

Meaning: In their scattering, the (Sakura) petals take flight; with a soft smile, they let go of the branch."

 I like to see the scattering Sakura blossoms not as an end but as a ‘flight’, 
taking to the sky of their own will.

By association,  I think of the two of my grandchildren who graduated from junior-high 

and elementary school  and then entered the new chapter of their lives this spring.
 It's a flight with a cheerful smile — a departure, a journey to the next stage.

Sakura blossoms have an endearing way of whispering a gentle farewell.

There is something sad and uplifting at the same time.

See you next year.

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I'm in the pink with Sakura

During the 桜 Sakura (cherry blossoms) season, I'm in the pink strolling through 

the graceful blossoms.

I have an emotional attachment to the  endearing nature of Sakura

as the epitome of transient beauty in this world.

Sakura's nickname is 夢見草, which literally means dream-viewing-flowers.

Sakura make me feel as if I were in a dream or conjure up the memories 

of my late families.

April 12th

Three Buddhist figures engraved on the stones are surrounded by Sakura 

in the small garden of  勧学院 Kangakuin, a place to learn anything about Buddhism 

at Todaiji Temple.

-　春日野園地  Kasugano-enchi, Nara Park -

Nara Park is a spacious area with parks, gardens, temples, shrines, cultural heritages,

museums, woods, brooks, ....and  local people's houses.

It is not so bustling with people like in Kyoto.

Visitors enjoy the beauty of the park interacting with free-roaming deer.

April 1st

This is Somei-yoshino variety with the backdrop of Camellias.

-茶山園地  Chayama-ench, Nara Park -

At the foot of the Mount Wakakusa, there is a small wooded hill.

It is a place to admire the double-flowered Nara-no-kokonoe-zakura, 

which is rare and endemic to Nara.

Nara-no-kokonoe-zakura blooms at almost the same time as the widely-planted

Somei-yoshino.

As you see in the photos above and below, the color of the Somei-yoshino is pale-pink

while that of the Nara-no-kokonoe-zakura is brighter.

Nara-no-kokonoe-zakura

April 8th

Clouds upon clouds of soft pink blossom floaitng over deer and people 

make magically serene pictures.

- 佐保川  Saho River -

April 9th

Ordinary residential road becomes popular sightseeing spot at this time of year.

Almost all the Sakura along the river is Somei-yoshino.

An elementary school

 

- 鷺池 Sagi-ike Pond, Nara Park -

浮見堂 Ukimi-do Pavilion, April 12th

Overlooking Ukimi-do

- 若草山　Mt. Wakakusa -

The view of Nara City and Ikoma mountain range

Don't they look like enchanted gardens enveloped in ethereal blossoms?

The places introduced here is also in the last year's post.

Sakura season, 2024 (part 2)

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Sakura season, 2024 (Part 2)

～Sakura from prime blooming to farewell～

April 10th

- 茶山園地 Chayama-enchi, Nara Park -

Chayama-enchi, a small hilly woods hidden at the foot of 若草山 Mount Wakakusa, 

is abundant of double-flowered 奈良の九重桜 Nara-no-kokonoe-zakura,

which is endemic to Nara.

This is a quiet place.

I love to see Deer eating Sakura petals or resting peacefully on the Sakura carpet.

Sakura petals are spring delicacy of deer.

A Sakura petal in his mouth

While Sakura blossoms usually have 5 sepals, this variety has uniquely as many as 10 sepals.

It's a shame that Nara-no-kokonoe-zakura rarely get noticed in spite of its beauty and rarity.

Probably because their blossoming time falls on the Somei-yoshino's all around.

 

After keeping low position to take photos of deer for a while, it's so refreshing to look up.

 

 - 佐保川 Saho River -

This is the second time I walked along the river during this Sakura season.

Pathway along the river

Is it snowing?

No, constnatly falling petals of Sakura blossoms.

April 13th

 Departing one after another in the breeze; this is the gentle farewell of Sakura.

Petals in the shimmering pink water.

It's still beautiful even though the trees have less blossoms.

Green leaves replace flowers once the petals fall.

Season is changing into the new leaves of soft to bright green hues.

A bird took off to the next stop.

 - 若草山 Mt. Wakakusa -

The grassy 若草山 Mount Wakakusa, 342 meters high, is a nice place 

to enjoy the panoramic views of Nara City and as far as Kyoto and Osaka.

The summit is easily accessible as I wrote in Let's climb Mount Wakakusa!

April 14th

Relaxing deer under Sakura blossoms at  the summit.

Less blossoms on branches, more petals in the air and on the ground.

Sakura season is already over in Nara  and the Sakura front has moved far to the northern Japan.

Academic year starts in April in Japan.

My youngest grandchild M entered Elementary School when Sakura was in full bloom.

Pupils walked to and from the school under the canopy of blossoms along the school road.

Performance of rythmic gymnastics

Why do cherry blossoms bloom at a certain time?  

The science behind Japan’s cherry blossoms explains the "importance of winter."

1. After the flowers fall off, the tree makes new buds in summer.
2. The buds get into sleep in fall.
3. Chill air of winter wake them up to make themselves swell gradually
4. When spring comes and it gets warmer, the buds bloom.

Warm weather (above 15 degrees C) of March makes the buds open.  So, I had thought that  the cold weather of this March delayed the blooming about one week later than usual. That's right partly, but there is more significant reason.

Warm weather alone won't make the flowers bloom. They need  enough cold spell of weather  in winter to wake up in the spring.  In January and February of this year, the winter cold was often interrupted by spring-like or even early-summer-like warmth.  If our winter becomes more and more warm due to the climate change, I wonder what would become of Sakura blossoming in the southern part of Japan.

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