Sakura Season

My walk to work on Tuesday!

I was really excited for this year's Sakura season.  This is my third Spring in Japan but I feel that prior to this year, I never really experienced the beauty of Sakura Spring.  In 2008, the ship had sea trials so we were out to sea during the peak.  That year seemed to have a very short season since the wind and rain took the flowers off in a hurry according to people who were on shore.  Last year, I was in Chicago nervously preparing for my oral boards so this year was going to be the year!  

Sankei-en

SMS and I made the most of it and saw beautiful Sakura in several different places.  On Tuesday this week, we travelled up to Yokohama and the Seiken-en Garden.  We went after work and drove, which is much easier than the 2 trains and bus we would have needed for the public transportation route.  There was a large parking lot with plenty of parking and we were there for a beautiful sunset.  The garden hosted evening illuminations of several period buildings that had been collected for the garden by its wealthy founder/benefactor Sankei Hara.  The buildings are mainly from Kamakura and Kyoto.  SMS set up a photo project that had him as artistic director and me running around as lighting assistant.  My job was to flash several trees and the Yokobuean building in order to provide the proper lighting.  The flashing, to clarify for one of my Facebook friends, was of the camera flash variety, not trench-coat!  It was a lot of fun and SMS took a beautiful picture.   

The Three Storied Pagoda through the trees

Some say low-fi iPhone photo, I say Pointillism!

On Wednesday, we went up the street to Hashirimizu Park, which has beautiful sakura trees and is conveniently local.  While I saw a lot of fun Tokyo pictures with the sakura and hanami parties (picnics), it was nice to go to a place that was less crowded and still totally gorgeous!

Close-up at Work

This week, I got to enjoy the sakura all around base.  The trees on base are also amazing and it's so cool to work in such pretty location.  I ate outside twice this week and it was really a treat.

Close-up from my Tuesday walk to work!

Finally, even though I thought the Sakura season was at an end, SMS and I walked along the canal in Hinodecho, Yokohama on Saturday.  There was a Sakura festival going on with lots of street vendors lining both sides of the canal under the trees.  My favorite viewing sites were on the bridges where some of the tree boughs gently curved towards the water.

Hinodecho

Overall, it was a wonderful start to Spring and I'm so glad I got to appreciate the Sakura in so many different settings!

Along the Hinodecho canal