The cherry blossoms have almost all disappeared now. I feel like it was over before it even started! I guess that’s part of their charm – their beauty is fleeting. Seeing the petals fall off the trees and get swept away by the wind is always sad. Most years, the sun does a good job of bringing a much welcomed warmth to push out winter, but this year, the cold has persisted and the chilly nights are still lingering. The weather has been up and down, teasing us for weeks with a few warm days. I’ve only recently stopped using my heater. Hopefully I can put it away for good. Dammit, I’m ready for summer! … I might regret saying that come August.
Going snowboarding at the start of April meant missing the peak of the sakura in Tokyo. I had an awesome time in Hokkaido, so I don’t regret it at all, but it just shortened the already short time we have to see the flowers! To give you more of an idea on just how brief their life is… The season officially started on March 25. This is when the buds first started to open up. The peak was predicted to be April 5, but the forecasters can never be 100% accurate, and in the end, full bloom was declared on March 30. By April 8, about 50% of the petals had fallen, and by April 10 it was basically all over in Tokyo.
There are actually hundreds of varieties of sakura trees. Some bloom earlier, while others bloom well after the main varieties have long gone. Even though it’s already coming to the end of April, there are still one or two late blooming varieties that can be spotted here and there. The varieties differ not only by blooming time, but also colour, number of petals, shape of the petals and shape of the tree. And of course, depending on where in the country they are, they bloom either in March (southern Japan), April (central Japan) or May (northern Japan).
March 16 @ Setagaya
March 29 @ Naka-Meguro
April 5 @ Setagaya
April 6 @ Akiruno & Fussa, Western Tokyo
April 8 @ Meguro
April 10 @ Showa Memorial Park, Tachikawa
April 10 @ Koganei Park
April 12 @ Lake Sagami, Kanagawa
April 16 @ Setagaya
Celia in Tokyo 
Such beautiful and interesting pictures! Thank you for sharing them.
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Thank you Hien! Cherry blossoms have such a huge significance in Japan. They make you appreciate life a little more – nothing lasts forever.
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Cherry blossoms do not last forever as much as every living thing has its own biological clock that ticks day by day till it completes its mission. Every stage of our life seems to have four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. It is very fortunate for you to experience the four distinctive seasons to reflect on your personal growth emotionally and your spiritual connection to the Creator of heaven and earth, all things bright and beautiful. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences with the gorgeous cherry blossoms.
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Yeah, there are many parallels between nature and human life. We all grow, and we all need to find ways to survive in our respective worlds which are affected by the other. It’s an interesting way to think about personal growth – comparing it with the seasons. Next time I’m feeling blue, I’ll remember that on the other side of every winter, is spring! :-)
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Celia, develop a picture book. Title it “A Year in the Life of an Ex-Pat” … DO IT!
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I know who’s Fred! haha. Thanks for the suggestion. It’s a nice idea!
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Wow! A festival of cherry blossoms and the best of Spring. Yes, the season’s flowers are starting to disappear as Summer comes close but images such as these will remind us of the magical landscape of Spring. Thanks.
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Thank you! Each of the seasons have something special to offer, but spring in particular has that extra touch of magic! The warmth and colours of spring always make me smile :-)
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You have such a beautiful collection of sakura!
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Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed them :) Though, I’d love to get a DSLR camera so I can take better photos. One day!
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beautiful
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Graham, thank you so much!
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Your photography is beautiful work!
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Cherry blossoms are a beautiful subject to photograph! Cheers :)
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:)
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