At the beginning of April, I joined in on a bit JET event in the nearby Okayama prefecture for hanami (cherry blossom viewing). We all planned to meet up during the peak of the brief season at Tsuyama's castle ruins, the most renowned spot in the prefecture for hanami. The ruins are a multi-tiered structure at the city center, with hundreds of cherry trees on every level and an impressive view of the city. I couldn't imagine a better place to experience hanami.
People in Japan use the brief window when cherry blossoms bloom as an opportunity to meet up with friends for picnics under the trees. The cities accommodate for this by setting up food stalls and performances at the popular venues. When we arrived the castle grounds were already bustling with people, and multiple parking lots were already full, and roads were closed to redirect traffic. After making it into the area we met up with a good crowd of other ALTs, which only grew as the day went on. Hanami is definitely a social event, best celebrated with friends. We had fun grilling, snacking on festival food, socializing, and taking pictures of the stellar scenery. The size and number of trees is staggering, at the top tiers looking down it feels like staring into a sea of petals. As the sun set, thousands of lanterns illuminated the castle grounds. The lantern's light completely changed the vibe, facilitating a more cozy, warmer atmosphere.
That evening the city set up a projection mapping performance against the top wall of the ruins. It was an entertaining show with a little bit of everything. The projections factored in their environment, creating the illusion that the castle wall was crumbling and transforming. Actors interacted with the images on a stage aligned in front of the wall. And near the end the lighting extended up into the trees, creating a surreal firework illusion. Thankfully there were plenty of cameras around, so you can experience the show for yourself!
That next day I joined Maria in Sakaiminato, a man made peninsula in western Tottori, to check out some of the local sites. Our first stop was the nearby Diaba Park. It is a popular spot in the area for its plethora of cherry blossom trees. Our timing was great, because as we arrived a taiko performance was beginning. The group was incredibly enthusiastic, clearly enjoying the event. The leader of the crew was particularly energetic and a bit silly, making the performance even more fun! Surprisingly enough, one of the group members was a student of Maria's.
We soon left the park and drove across the the water through a small coastal fishing village which had a nice shrine before winding our way up to another old lighthouse overlooking the Sea of Japan. The view was impressive and the sea breeze, refreshing.
We then picked Chelsea up and drove across the peninsula to the artificial lake created by Sakiminato's construction. We crossed a bridge to an island in the center of the lake, home the Yushien Garden which famous for peonies. Being a big fan of Japanese gardens, I enjoyed walking around the meticulously maintained scenery.
A unique part of this garden is their peony room, and indoor section where the flowers can grow year round. Far from being merely a room with these flowers, they had managed to create an outdoor scene within the building, complete with small waterways and a very cool overgrown wall. The garden also had some small waterfalls, a pond, and a striking rock garden. The entire establishment was classy, and furthered my appreciation for Japanese landscape design.
People in Japan use the brief window when cherry blossoms bloom as an opportunity to meet up with friends for picnics under the trees. The cities accommodate for this by setting up food stalls and performances at the popular venues. When we arrived the castle grounds were already bustling with people, and multiple parking lots were already full, and roads were closed to redirect traffic. After making it into the area we met up with a good crowd of other ALTs, which only grew as the day went on. Hanami is definitely a social event, best celebrated with friends. We had fun grilling, snacking on festival food, socializing, and taking pictures of the stellar scenery. The size and number of trees is staggering, at the top tiers looking down it feels like staring into a sea of petals. As the sun set, thousands of lanterns illuminated the castle grounds. The lantern's light completely changed the vibe, facilitating a more cozy, warmer atmosphere.
A unique part of this garden is their peony room, and indoor section where the flowers can grow year round. Far from being merely a room with these flowers, they had managed to create an outdoor scene within the building, complete with small waterways and a very cool overgrown wall. The garden also had some small waterfalls, a pond, and a striking rock garden. The entire establishment was classy, and furthered my appreciation for Japanese landscape design.
So pretty! Great pics!
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