Monday, April 6, 2015

The cherry blossoms are blooming in Japan and that means spring is afoot

Heian Shrine in full bloom
I identify as Japanese because of my mother, whose maiden name is "Takano." I suppose that because of this, I spent some time this weekend just googling pictures of the 2015 cherry blossom festival. During late March and early April, the Japanese welcome thousands of tourists to Japan for the Sakura festival, which is a celebration of spring that lasts about a week from first bud until the petals fall. Here are some of the prettier pictures from this year posted from various sources online.
Himeji castle surrounded by spring blooms.
More cherry blossoms

Pictures of the Takayama Spring Festival

You can check out the cherry blooming forecast at this website if you're interested. So yeah, happy spring everyone.

18 comments:

  1. We may have gone to the festival when I lived in Japan, but I was too young to remember. I do remember seeing the blooms elsewhere though.

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  2. some of the most beautiful trees in the world

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  3. I love the significant role nature plays in Japanese culture. Beautiful pictures. The trees are now blooming here in Portland, and I can't get enough of them.

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  4. Gorgeous :) Something to definitely plan around if taking a trip to Japan.

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  5. Oh my goodness...so beautiful! Wish I could go. :)

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  6. Japan is one of the places I really want to visit. One day....

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  7. So beautiful. I really want to visit Kyoto one day. Until then I get to look at the crabapple tree in my backyard, I suppose. :- /

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  8. I've always wanted to visit Japan, ever since I was little. Hopefully someday, I'll get that chance.

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  9. Great pics. I remember hearing about that for the first time in school. Some social studies class. It kind of blew my mind at the time.

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  10. So beautiful! I've seen photos but to be there in real life must be breathtaking. We have some blooming trees here in Colorado, and with some luck we won't have a late snow that ruins them too soon.

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  11. Those pics are amazing. Thanks for sharing. Cherry blossom is my second favorite tree, right behind the Japanese Maple.

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  12. Lovely pictures, Michael. The third one is especially eye-catching.

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  13. I really need to go to Japan and see these for myself. :)

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  14. Beautiful! I love trees that bloom.

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  15. I hope I get to visit Japan someday. The architecture is as beautiful as the flowers. Just gorgeous.

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