咲いた咲いた！桜が咲いた！The Sakura have Bloomed!

 
 
    

Osaka Castle

 

(At Osaka-jo)
so many people
the white pink cherry blossoms
smell of cold beer

Konan University

Okomoto Parkdrinking beer with friends
the children play loudly
beneath pink white trees

 Arashiyama
a train rushes through
a tunnel of lit blossoms
only on weekends

Park Near My House in Itami After the rainfall
like sprinkles on fairy cakes
petals on black bough

Abit about お花見

What I've been doing in this photos is going to Ohanami, which literally translates to 'flower viewing', and as the name suggests in Japan it's custom to go and sit amongst the blossoms and have BBQ's and get drunk and generally just relax and enjoy the pretty colours of the petals, and fresh flower smells and warm spring air!

Sakura (cherry blossom) are a kind of sad symbol of transciency and youth, as they only last a week or two before they fall like snow, and then it's over. They're really fragile looking, too. They make there way up the country as the weather changes, starting south and making it's way north up Japan - there's even new reports to mark the progress of the Sakura.

Do you like my clumsy Haikus? They came to my head as I posted the photos, hence they suck XD
The Osaka Castle one is as it is, the blossoms were gorgeous but the park was so full with groups of business men and students barbequeing and getting drunk that the air was filled with loud laughing and the smell of beer rather than the flowers.

In Arashiyama (an hour and £10 away by train) we aimed to ride the promised train through the tunnel of lit up sakura but when we got there they told us the train only ran on weekends T-T so we got drunk by the river instead.

I wanted to post this one today for Gabrielle, who is having an operation on her stomach today for the 100th time or something and so I wanted to share this pretty post with her! Aren't they pretty, sis? The white ones are for you!

Everyone becomes a pro-photographer when the cherry blossoms bloom and I was no exception!

If I were to give anyone coming to this country some advice, it would be bring a REALLY good camera, because my photos do not do this country any justice. The blossoms were stunning, the pink was this really etheral, it was almost as if they were glowing sometimes and the clusters of them were like snowballs of blossoms packed onto the branches. So wonderful.

I wish everyone could experience this amazing season at least once!

Much love x