- China Motorcycle Ride Part Two - November 30, 2024
- China Motorcycle Ride - November 27, 2024
- The Moment Collectors Asia - November 23, 2024
It is cherry blossom season in Japan. This signals the arrival of Spring and much more. April is the beginning of the new year, the end of a cold winter. It is the end of school year, girls can be seen in special kimonos at graduation ceremonies. They will soon leave home to begin careers. Rice is planted and there is a small window of nice weather between winter and the late April rains.
No wonder much of the county heads out to a park to eat and drink under the trees and reflect on their hopes or time that has passed. Before when visiting Japan one day it occurred to me I should value time more than possessions or job title and do things differently.
Easier said than done! It feels very peculiar, stupid even, to go against the consensus that the designer kitchen and German car are a successful life. I am not convinced giving up my career in my prime wasn’t the ultimate stupid thing I have done in a life littered with foolishness.
But cherry blossoms burst to life for a brief time then soon fall to the ground and are swept away by a gust of wind and forgotten.
Cherry blossom season in Japan. I don't think you could see a better spectacle of the blooms anywhere else.
I like them at the late stage of blooming when all the petals are showering down. Where many trees are grouped together, it can look like it is snowing. But otherwise not being Japanese I do not find them as striking or meaningful as people here do.