My love with Sakura
I have always loved each spring and Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom) season. Even living in Portland, since Portland has one of the oldest sister city relationship with Sapporo- over 60 years. Portland has a waterfront lined with Cherry Blossoms from Japan. Now living in Tokyo and very close to the Meguro River, my daily walk or run is along the river which is infamous for its Sakura lined streets.
We were in Kyoto for our spring break and we enjoyed the Sakura season. My first time to Kyoto was exactly 20 years ago this March and before kids. Our trip was prior to iPhones, all my Sakura pictures from Kyoto are somewhere on CD’s or a computer hard drive in storage. We enjoyed Kyoto to its fullest, and met up with dear family friends Eichi and Mutsuko, who took us around for the day to Uji. We reminisced about our first trip 20 years ago when we visit them in Kyoto. Stay tuned for more details on our 5 days in Kyoto as I will write about each prefectures beauty very soon. We loved being in Kyoto and cherishing the beauty of the city which was adorned with mature Sakura trees and blooms.
The one place I have always wanted to visit during Sakura season is Himeji Castle in Hyogo. We took a day trip to Himeji by shinkansen and met up with our friends Yoko and Tara. More to come as I will write about our visit to Hyogo prefecture, Himeji castle (which is my favorite castle in Japan so far), and our day with Yoko and Tara which included the afternoon in Shikoku.
Not only can you experience Sakura blooming in Japan, but you can enjoy EVERYTHING Sakura. Like Sakura bottle water (my favorite), Sakura tea latte, Sakura desserts, Sakura pocky, Sakura infused tofu, pretty much everything you can think of. And in Japan, packaging is impeccable and beautiful. I love the color pink and I can easily get caught up in all the Sakura merchandise. What a beautiful time to celebrate this amazing blossom by appreciating its flavor, color, and emotions it brings to us. Whenever I see Sakura, it makes me smile and enjoy its beauty. A lovely time to be in Japan. If you want to plan a trip to Japan, spring is definitely worth it. Enjoy!
