Mitsuike Park

Mitsuike Park is located at the northern part of Yokohama. In the Part there are three ponds (mitsu=three and ike=pond), which were used to irrigate rice fields during Edo period. It was warm today. I bought lunch at a basement food floor of a hotel near the station. Today’s lunch was 500 yen, half of the yesterday’s lunch, but it was delicious enough. I was satisfied to have lunch viewing cherry blossoms.

Hanabie

It was Hanabie today. Hanabie means cold in cherry-blossom time. (Hana means a flower (= cherry blossom) and b(h)ie means cold. Since the climate of this season is not stable, it sometimes gets cold temporarily.
Despite Hanabie, we went out for cherry blossoms. The Ooka River is one of the nice spots for cherry viewing in Yokohama. We bought lunch at a depa-chika (basement food floor of a department store). Boxed lunches at a depa-chika are in big demand. We were going to eat lunch viewing cherry blossoms, but it was too cold to eat there. Sadly we had lunch at a bench at a subway station.
Access the URL below for more cherry photos:
http://realjapan.org/

(The Ooka River)

Spending All Day Viewing Cherry Blossoms (2)

Today’s Course is:
Jindai Botanical Gardens ---> Inokashira Park
Today I have also spent all day viewing cherry blossoms. Inokashira Park is quite an amusing place, where some musicians were playing and singing and some artists were drawing pictures. Of course a lot of people were preparing a night viewing of cherry blossoms. I longingly recalled that I took a boat ride with a boy friend here a long, long time ago.
Access the URL below for more cherry photos:

http://realjapan.org/

(Jindai Botanical Gardens)

(Inokashira Park)

Spending All Day Viewing Cherry Blossoms

Today’s Course is:
Shiba Park ---> Zojoji Temple ---> Yasukuni Shrine ---> Chidorigafuchi Park ---> Kitanomaru Park
I have spent all day viewing cherry blossoms. I was so tired that I have just entered Kitanomaru Park. The following photos show the atmosphere of these places. The photos of cherry blossoms are posted on my Web site. Access the URL below.
http://realjapan.org/photo/Cherry/cherry.html

(Chiba Park)

(Zojoji Temple)

(Yasukuni Shrine)

(Chidorigafuchi Park)

(Kitanomaru Park)

Weeping Cherry Trees at MishimaTaisha Shrine

Weeping cherry trees (shidare-zakura in Japanese) at Mishama Taisha Shrine is famous and is now in full bloom. Mishima Taisha Shrine is located at Mishima city in Shizuoka prefecture.
My friend, Hirochan has sent some photos of Mishima sakura. I guess you would like to see the real one.

Blooming 30%?

When I take a walk every day, I have an unexpected discovery. Young cherry trees produce flowers earlier than old ones. I think this might be due to DNA. There seems to be the stronger will to leave progeny.

（Tunnel of Cherry Blossom Trees）

(Floral)

Somei Yoshino

Most popular sakura is Somei Yoshino. It is said that Somei Yoshino was developed at Somei village (in Tokyo) around the end of Edo Period (19th century) by marriage of prunus and yedonensis. Pale pink blossoms bloom in unison before leaves come out. It is also beautiful that petals are flapping in the wind.
Last April I went to Kyoto for Cherry Viewing. That was the first time for sakura in Kyoto, but unfortunately it was cloudy and rained occasionally.

(Today's Sakura)

(Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto)

Cherry Blossoms

The Meteorological Agency declared the official first day of bloom in Tokyo on March 21. I will report cherry blossoms around here. The following photos are the today’s SAKURA. Sakura has just begun to bloom.

Super-Senior

My Husband’s Grandmother was attractive. She presented us a Waka poem when we got married. When she was more than eighty, she made hina dolls for me. The dolls were set up for the Doll Festival on March 3.
A mentor in my photo club will hold a one-man photo exhibition in commemoration of his eighty. Also he created a photo book of flowers. Another lady also held a private photo exhibition at her eighty. The title of her photo book was “Poetry of Land.” It’s my pleasure to support such activities. I am cheered up by their high spirit.
Yesterday I took a walk and found beautiful plum blossoms. I also found a cherry tree which has several blossoms. The cherry blossom season gets near.

（Hina dolls made by Grandma）

Plum Trees

Last month I was running after snow. Spring has come before I knew it. Today I went out for plum-blossom viewing. Sankei-en Garden is a Japanese style garden located in eastern Yokohama near the sea. In the garden the plum-blossom viewing party took place and Japanese tea was served free of charge. Most of the guests were older people.