Daigo of the flowers

The cherry trees of Daigo-ji, a temple in the south-east of Kyoto, have been famous for centuries.

There are about a thousand sakura trees on the grounds of the temple but the weeping cherries are probably the most well known.

The other varieties are worth a look too.

In April 1598, warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi held a flower-viewing party at the temple. Hideyoshi, remembered best for unifying Japan in the 16th century, liked bright colours, gold leaf and things done on a grand scale. His hanami involved 1,300 guests, 700 sakura trees brought in from surrounding areas, tea pavilions built for the occasion and musicians to provide entertainment. On the second Sunday of April, what would be Hideyoshi's last hanami is recreated at Daigo-ji. The man playing Hideyoshi gets to ride in a palanquin (above) borne by attendants in white.

A dance performed for the latter-day Hideyoshi and his entourage.

There was a mock fight too by actors from the Eigamura film park.

And a monk busy taking photos.

The final performance was a dance by girls from a nearby primary school. They had sakura in the patterns of their kimono and in their hands.

One of the dancers.

Her smile looked like this.

One last look before going.

Sanzen-in sakura 24th April 2012 Spent today rushing around Ohara village north of Kyoto city. Visited three temples, one of them twice, and climbed a long slope once more than I would have liked.

A quick lunch. Swiss roll with yuba - beancurd sheet - in the centre.

The entrance of Sanzen-in looks softer in spring.

To enter the main building, you have to take your shoes off...

... and carry them past this garden.

When you put your shoes back on, you step on this wooden platform, drop your shoes on the concrete and slip your feet into them. I gather from this sign that Chinese visitors did not realise this.

But koi in a pond scattered with sakura are much easier to understand.

A ghost in spring.

What we've been waiting for.

Because I can take non-sakura pictures too.

And I bet so can he.

Oh who am I kidding. One last sakura shot in the late afternoon light.

The yellow road back to the bus stop.

Seen today in Ohara. Best job in the world?

Last lot for the year


14th May 2011


I promised a friend that I'd post pictures of the sakura by the river once it bloomed. It's a little late but here they are.

















































































There was a young man holding a guitar and a pencil. He seemed to be writing a song.

Saturday at a shrine


17th April 2011





I've learned enough about Heian Jingu to expect crowds there in sakura season. The maiko performance in the shrine courtyard was a surprise though.


















Another unexpected star.







The main attraction.

















The wind steals from the trees...





...and leaves the loot in the ponds.





A shot I can never resist taking. This time though, there were bits of pink in the water's sky.












For this period, special sakura omikuji. The trees where people had tied their pink fortune slips looked like cherry blossom trees from a distance.

South of the shrine was a little park filled with kids running about, making mud balls and throwing stuff around. There was also this.

Whatever you can find


11th April 2011


I knew the light wouldn't be good - it was too late and cloudy - but I went down to Kiyamachi-dori anyway.



When I got there, a man wearing a jacket with the word "impulse" cut in front of me.





A little canal called Takasegawa runs along Kiyamachi-dori. In the days before trains, goods would be ferried along the canal as far as Osaka.




With the sakura in bloom, interesting buildings turn glamorous.




Cherry blossoms and adult beverages: an ancient combination.






The light was a little better at the Kamogawa, which runs parallel to the Takasegawa.




Though it was a weekday, there were people having flower-viewing parties. (Shoes aren't usually left on the mat but it was a windy day.)




Flower-viewing party for one. Easier to organise.




Spot the sparrow!




Wild geese - the stone kind - flying over the river.




The light faded fast and when it was gone, I went to Nijo castle.




For the light-up.