The cherry trees are out in blossom and lots of people are enjoying "hanami" (花見) parties all over Japan right now. In many places the petals are already falling like spring snow, but that won't stop the party goers from enjoying their packed lunches, their barbecued meat, their saké and beer under, or in close proximity to, the cherry trees.
The other night, the Mrs and I strolled past her former elementary school (apparently it once had more kids enrolled than any other elementary school in Japan) which, like a lot of schools in Japan, has a row of cherry trees along the length of its boundary with the street.
When those cherry trees are in blossom they are illuminated at night and it makes an arresting site as you turn the dark corner only to be met with a sudden blaze of glory. The waxing moon high up in the clear nocturnal sky, beamed down at us between the blossoming branches from the cheerful constellation of sidereal Leo.
It is difficult to catch the moon, the illuminated cherry trees and the dark street all in one shot, but I did manage to catch the moon between the branches.
And with that, my personal cherry blossom viewing season has pretty much come to an end, even more ephemeral than the season itself. Speaking of the ephemeral, my mind returned to the elementary school. I wonder where all those school children are now, scattered like so many petals by the breeze
桜花
咲きかも散ると
見るまでに
誰れかもここに
見えて散り行く
Sakurabana
sakika mo chiru to
miru made ni
tare ka mo koko ni
miete chiriyuku
Man'yoshu Poem 3129 (anon.)
Cherry blossoms -
now blooming and now falling;
those whom we see here,
who could they be, I wonder,
as they drift by and scatter?
Cheers!