A little late, I admit, but this year is a bit different. Yoko and I were down in Yoshino during Golden Week and some blossoms were still in full bloom at the top of the hill. This year 2012 has indeed offered a late and somewhat extended schedule for cherry blossoms viewing, and even as I write there are areas in full bloom in Hokkaido!!
The picture shows the street my wife and I live on in Nishinomiya, and it shows exactly what the cherry blossoms right outside our window have been like for the past three years in a row. We have a semi-round, east-facing sun room with giant opening windows that allow us to have hanami parties or do simple star gazing right from our living room. It’s great and helps to make home a wonderful respite from hectic life. It’s nice even when there’s a storm outside, or when the Tigers baseball games are on.
The main difference this year, apart from the unusually cold March and April we have had, is that the town community group did not put up the lanterns you see in the picture. It was discussed and decided that the lanterns were a waste of electricity given the shortage caused by the nuclear power plant shut-downs. What a cool choice. Everyone brought there own 12V high-powered emergency lights creating an even more charming hanami atmosphere. I imagine that will be the norm from now on.
Martin Werner Zander, Smith’s Partner
マーティン・ワーナー・ザンダー
Owner, Smith’s School in Kotoen
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