Before Sakura.
Monday 29 March 2010
Sakura (cherry blossoms) are popping out all over Japan now, I rode around on my (pika-pika brand new!!) bike yesterday and saw they were about 40-50% in bloom. Hopefully by this weekend it will be fully bloomed and I can take LOTS of pictures to share with you here. It's been unbelievably cold in Tokyo for this time of year, we only had 4 degree Celcius this morning (samui!!!) so sakura is blooming very slowly.Sakura is of course the best attraction of Japan's spring more than anything, but there are other pretty blossoms too which pop out before sakura. Magnolia (mokuren), plum (ume) and peach (momo) blossoms are some of them which are seen in the above photos. To be really honest, I can't really tell the difference between plum and peach, but apparently petals of plum are round while peach has pointy petals.
Just thought I'd share some springy photos before going to the too-much-cherry-blossom-photos show which is soon to begin here!
P.S. Excellent news this morning, that Sejima and Nishizawa of SANAA won the Pritzker Architecture Prise of this year! (see this article on abc news)
Also.... a few new posts here!
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These are so so lovely! I love sakura.
ReplyDeleteoh how wonderful..i look forward to having spring here too..can't wait...
ReplyDeleteSigh, how beautiful...
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos :) Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeletei'm so happy that sanaa won !!!
ReplyDelete& your sakura 50% pictures are cute cute cute !
How wonderful, I can not wait to visit!
ReplyDeleteplease, take me there!
ReplyDeletemoremoremore!
lovely photos! i am worried the sakura will be too confused to bloom and just fall off.its so cold.and windy.im half dead with a cold.i really hpe tomorrow is SUNNY.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful! Sorry you missed my giveaway - are you still at the same address? I will send you something.
ReplyDeleteYes, samui-desu! I will look forward to seeing your photos of the sakura when they are finally in full-bloom!
ReplyDeleteOmg it's beautiful, can't wait to see your pictures from Sakura !!! and can't wait to be in Tokyo :)
ReplyDeleteKireii!!:)
ReplyDeleteYay! Wish I was in Japan right now. Please do take photos to show us :) and enjoy!!
ReplyDeletexo ulrika
excellent news that sanna won :)
ReplyDeletehei there hiki! i was reading your post about writing in english, and i have to say that your english to me as a native speaker is *flawless*. really, you can write english very well. of course these photos are gorgeous too. the colours are enchanting. i wish i were there too!
ReplyDeleteit is so beautiful we have some here too! i love this period of the year !!!
ReplyDeletelove
gini
oh how i hope I get to see this for real one day...
ReplyDeletethe trees are starting to bloom here in london too, now we just need the rain to stop! keep the gorgeous pics coming hiki!
such pretty trees and blossoms! would love to see them in person...maybe one day :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! Spring is the only season I haven't been to Japan. I'm hoping to go to Kyoto for my honeymoon in the Spring. But I have to say, I've loved being in Japan for all the other seasons as well... (^.^)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blossoms! A lovely reminder of my trip - thank you.
ReplyDeleteI saw the architecture prize on the BBC News website too - beautiful building.
alexandria, Sakura is so lovely, isn't it!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteschorlemädchen, I guess it will be a little more wait for the spring to arrive where you are? I hope it will arrive soon!!
Jeanne, That's what I kept saying today seeing sakura ;)
Pinjing, Thanks for coming by and enjoy them!
Marion, SANAA receiving the prize is great isn't it! Hoorah!
POPPY FRENCH, Do you have a plan to visit? Hope you do!!
Ritva, Hello!! I will be posting more and more photos of the blossom here, so please come come come ;)
Melinda, I always get worried when there is strong wind when sakura is just popped out, but they say sakura always stays till its time to fall once they pop out. It's still quite cold isn't it, hope it will be sunny and warm tomorrow!!
Elissa, Sorry I didn't see your comment before! Yes I am still at the same address!!
The Hausfrau, I have just started posting them, I hope you will not be sick of it because I will be posting so many of them!
Narumi, I think yours are so much prettier Narumi!
Hana, Kirei desu yo---!!
Ulrika, I wish you were here in Tokyo right now too so we can go picnic under the blossoms together!
Mary, isn't that exciting that sanaa won the prize!!
jenna, hi!! you are so sweet to say that! I need to keep using English more and more to become *flawless*!
gini, how pretty would that be to see these blossoms up on the mountain around where you live!!!!!!! i'd love to see!
fampa and Eva, to actually see these would be so so so much nicer as you could imagine. when the blossoms start to fall, that's REALLY stunning!
priscilla ahn, Oooooo honeymooning in Kyoto!!?? sounds so romantic!!! Was the summer in Japan okay for you?? Autumn here is also lovely and I love winter too apart from it being so cold, but summer, oh....I just can't stand it :p
Di, I'd love to go see that building Sanaa won the prize for in real life one day!