Cherry Blossoms in Japan!

All over Japan the blossoms are blooming!!! 

 

Sadly for Japan, this year's cherry blossom season has, naturally, been overshadowed by the horrific losses associated with the recent mega earthquake. But even as the nation continues to shake with hundreds of aftershocks and faces one of the worst nuclear disasters the world has seen, the beautiful blossoms have been spreading across the land. Earthquakes and aftershocks have become so commonplace that they barely raise a head. From a positive perspective....... maybe the blossoms could be seen as symbols of hope and resilience.....maybe even a source of motivation for Japanese people along the long road to recovery. 

Incredibly, within days of the shocking earthquake, these very brave blossoms were sighted in one of the disaster stricken areas.

'Blossom Time', my previous post, mentioned 'hanamis'.......the parties which are held below the blooming trees. Hanamis see families and friends coming together to celebrate and socialise. 

Due to extensive power restrictions, enforced as a result of the Fukushima Power Plant disaster, blossom night viewings, yozakura, have not happened. Of course in many spots, street lighting creates some illumination but not the normal spectacular shows. At one stage there was even an advisory about restricting the number of hanamis, as a sign of respect. In spite of this, even this year, prime positions under the trees were keenly sought.

 

Shinjuku Park was a very popular place for parties and this picture, which appeared on the news, reminded me of the beach crowds in summer. 

Having now experienced a 'Blossom Season' in Japan, I can confirm that it is indeed a beautiful time. Streets, parks, river banks and gardens are pictures of beauty.  Cherry trees cover the hills and, at every turn, one is confronted with masses of blossoms. It is not only an 'alien resident' or 'alien visitor' who is compelled to take endless photos......everyone is enchanted by the beauty. Due to the power restrictions our night view may be absent of the normal bright lights....the ferris wheel may no longer illuminate the sky......but.....the magnificent daytime displays satisfy our visual senses. 

Like always, no amount of photos can demonstrate the beauty.  A camera lens only captures the two dimensional vision..........the panoramic beauty and sense of awe is for the lucky spectators of this wonderful 'show'
.......the star of the show, 'Cherry Blossom' holds her audiences captive. 

Naturally, not all the blossoms opened on the same day. Full bloom, mankai, is usually reached within about one week after the opening of the first blossoms, kaika. Another week later, the blooming peak is over and the blossoms are falling from the trees. Strong wind and rain can cut the blooming season even shorter. We have had a few days of strong winds but the blossoms are hanging in!! 

Over the past few weeks we have observed the beautiful blossoms in many, many places......too many to include in this post. So many photos.......so many sensations.......so many 'ooohs and aaahs!!!'

The avenue of trees in Kamakura created a spectacular walkway. With festivals, weddings, christenings and hanamis, it was just wonderful wandering around.

Temples have been adorned with blossoms. Even our very uninspiring, 'Ishikawacho Station', has had a mini display.

One weekend, looking for somewhere different to go, we headed inland  to a place called Kofu, not to be confused with tofu!! Kofu lies about 120 kilometres west of Tokyo and Yokohama. When heading somewhere new, choosing the correct expressway is always a challenge and exiting at the correct place can also be interesting. In the absence of street names and clear signage, written in text we understand, pinpointing one's accommodation is usually the next dilemma. 

Nestled between the mountains of the Japan Southern Alps,  

Kofu is a large city with over 200,000 people. 

Investigating things to do in Kofu I had been very excited at the prospect of attending the Shingen-ko Festival. The festival runs over 3 days and the main event is the reenactment of the Koshu Battalion Deployment of Takeda Shingen's Warriors. Takeda Shingen is apparently a name that has echoed throughout Japan for the last 400 years, since the age of the samurai. I went ahead and booked our accommodation at the Dormfy Inn. Dormfy Inn cost us 10800 yen for a double room and breakfast and was very central to everything. Having booked I then discovered that, in light of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it had been cancelled.  Nothing to do but go anyway and enjoy all the other attractions, which included a rope way ride and waterfalls in the surrounding mountains.  As it turns out, many festivities still went ahead anyway. 

The ruins of a castle, which was destroyed in 1727 by fire, stand atop a hill overlooking the streets of Kofu. There were plenty of blossoms to be seen, not only at the castle but all around the streets.

With plenty of things happening, Kofu was a lovely place to wander around. We sat and enjoyed the entertainment at a park below the castle site.

Blossoms surrounded a pagoda we found in the back streets.

Walking around town in the evening, these guys were off to celebrate a little bit more and didn't mind having there photos taken.

This samurai soldier is totally adorned with semi precious stones. Quite amazing!

At a park in Kofu we were very impressed with this stainless steel sculpture. In Japan the abundant stainless steel sculptures are very impressive.

Nothing to do with blossoms, but these little signs at the same park made us giggle. Every piece of dog poo, usually a very uncommon occurrence, was labelled and numbered. I have only included a few, but the grass was dotted with the little signs.

"Your Honour, may I present my evidence in the case against Pooch number 55, who did defecate in our public park!!"

Leaving Kofu behind we meandered around the surrounding mountainsides before heading back to Yokohama and the encumbent traffic jambs that entailed.

Having digressed slightly with my Kofu ramblings, the blossoms around our home in Yamashita-cho have been beautiful.

Minato Mirai, as expected, looked beautiful and was crowded with onlookers. At this time of the year people can be excused for walking around with 'their noses in the air'. Eyes up and cameras and phones snapping has been an even more common sight than normal.

Riding through Odori Park, Kannai with 'alien' visitor, Marion, I spotted a group of people having a hanami. I stopped cycling and reached for my camera. With that, we were invited to join their party. What a lovely experience that was! It turned out that this group was having an 'after party' to celebrate the completion of their English language course. Having just had a lesson myself, it was the perfect opportunity for us to experiment on each other. We sat under the trees snacking on orange quarters and crackers. One lady even performed some magic tricks she had observed in, of all places, Las Vegas. It was a delightful interlude!

After farewelling our 'hanami friends' we stopped and snapped a few more pictures along the nearby river. The week before on 'Blossom Patrol', I had observed that these blossoms were nearly 'on stage'.

On a shopping trip to a Mitsuii Outlet in Minami Osawa, near Hachioji, Steve and I wandered along streets edged with magnolia trees in full bloom. Two weeks later, I returned with our alien visitor and snapped photos of beautiful blossom trees as we walked through a very 'natural type' park.

Out riding with Steve at Negishi Park, not far from home, we observed people having early hanamis with only a few trees blossoming.

 The trees on the hill behind were still bare................

................but just over a week later this is what it looked like!!!

 Even the pets taking a 'leashed' stroll were enjoying the vista.

Trees in Yamashita Park  have been heavily laden with blossoms. It truly is a case of 'sensory overload'.

Having taken a couple of trips to Honmoku, running and riding, I have seen the blossom at various stages. Honmoku is quite close to Yamashita-cho where we live. The main street has been lined with hundreds of beautiful blossom trees.

Kids in Japan are no different to kids anywhere. The boy in the tree was wildly shaking the branches and the others below were grabbing at the falling blossoms. They were in a back street and I am sure they would have been reprimanded, if they had been seen. Had this been the case, you can be sure they would  have quietly and obediently ceased.

Blossoms resemble confetti as they fall to the ground like snow. Riding along you need to keep your lips sealed or risk inhaling the petals.

Sadly all good shows must come to an end!! As we ride around now, bright green leaves are replacing the blossom and decorating the bare branches.....Winter has gone and Summer is on the way. 

  

Arigato gozaimus, 'Cherry Blossom'! 

What a wonderful performance!!

 

Cherry Blossoms in Bloom-still waiting!!

The Tohoku Earthquake, with its tragic ramifications, has dominated the thoughts and lives of all in Japan......over 27,000 people confirmed dead or missing! Understandably, the arrival of the festive cherry blossom season has been overshadowed.

Nature has prevailed though, as it always does, and begun creating canvasses of pink and white across the land. Blooming time is determined by geographical location.......the milder the climate the earlier the blossom opens! In tropical Okinawa, the blossoms begin in January and in, the far north island, Hokkaido, they bloom as late as May. Current weather conditions in each area, also affects the blossoming time. It is such a special time in Japan that, the Weather Bureau via nightly forecasts following the weather segment of news programs, gives updates of the approaching 'Cherry Blossom Front' as it moves northwards!!   

The front signals the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) rather than the arrival of full bloom (mankai). Wherever and whenever they bloom, they signal another stage in the seasonal cycle....!! The 'cherry blossom season' in each area lasts about two weeks.....the first week when the buds are opening and then by the end of the second week when the blossoms are falling from the trees.

Cherry trees (known as sakura) are part of the Prunus family, the same family that plums, peaches and apricots are members of. So it's not only the cherry tree that blossoms.....white magnolia and plum tree blooms precede the cherries. With their natural beauty, they add colour to the very sombre tones of the city. Winter in Japan sees the trees shed their leaves and the grasses in the parks die off. The soil, like our skin, is dry and cracked. The greens only return when spring and summer return. Once spent, these less famous blooms make way for the much awaited 'Star of the Show', CHERRY BLOSSOM!!! .............the national flower of Japan. Originally sakura  was used to divine the year's harvest as well as announce the rice-planting season.

On a recent trip to Atami, at the top of the Izu Peninsula, we were treated to some early blossom.

Cycling around our stomping grounds in Yokohama, I snapped some shots of the plum trees and magnolias in their final days of bloom.

Walking around Minami Osawa, near Hachioji, we came across more magnolias in various stages of bloom. They are very beautiful!

As the blossoms fall to the footpaths and are lifted by the wind, it takes a great deal of patience for the many people employed to keep the streets clean. In the autumn, a multitude of people continually sweep the streets to remove falling leaves, now it's flowers they must sweep away.

'Hanami' is the centuries-old practice of picnicking under a blooming sakura. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (literally meaning night sakura). Thousands of people fill the parks to hold feasts under the flowering trees. These parties often go on until late at night. In more than half of Japan, the cherry blossoming period coincides with the beginning of the school and fiscal year and so welcoming parties are often opened with hanami. The Japanese people take part in processional walks through the parks. Hanami is a time for contemplating and renewing spirits.

Many famous wood block prints, such as the one below, have cherry blossom themes. 

But guess what?? 

We are still awaiting the arrival of the 'Cherry Blossom' season......so for the moment there are no pictures!!! I am on daily 'cherry blossom patrol' but to date nothing!

All I can say is....'Mat te-kudasai!!!'