Chasing Cherry Blossoms
Life definitely slows down and rules are relaxed for the two week cherry blossom season in Japan. Private parks full of cherry blossoms open up to the public. People take days off--or at least longer lunches--to have picnics under the canopy of cherry blossoms, complete with celebratory sake and bento lunches. So, of course it makes sense that we joined in, this being our first cherry blossom season in Japan.

But even though things slow down and cherry blossoms are meant to be enjoyed, there is definitely a race to enjoy them before they disappear. One especially rainy and/or windy day and you will have missed the opportunity of a lifetime. Since the blossoms first started to appear last Wednesday, we've had mostly rainy and chilly days, making it difficult to enjoy the outdoors. But nonetheless, we have managed to get our share of the blooms--for this season anyway. We have two more to look forward to.




We returned to Kamakura at night last weekend to see lanterns lit up among the canopy of cherry blossoms down the center walkway of a main street in Kamakura, the ancient capitol of Japan.



We also went to the Cherry Blossom Festival on base last weekend, which drew many Japanese people.

(Or was it the American pizza that drew most of the Japanese folks out? Can you believe this line of people waiting for a carry-home pie?! We contemplated waiting, too, since dinner time was approaching, but no pizza is worth this wait. And I like pizza.)

Today, we finally had nice enough weather to venture out with our playgroup to have a picnic in a cherry blossom park near our house. (Sydney was hell bent on trying to eating carmel popcorn, but I won that battle. But I did learn that we should have picnics more often...and I should give other people her food so she will only think she's mooching.)

Look at the photo gallery for more cherry blossom photos!