With the spring blossoms, also come beautiful girls in yukatas to celebrate them. This girl is holding some momo-nohana, or peach blossoms, that we saw near the balloons.

Snow? No, falling cherry blossoms, in one of their last days, surrounding people like us having 'hanamis', cherry-blossom picnics. They have a magical quality and are one of the highlights of the year in Japan.

At night, they featured the balloons again, this time lighting their fires to the rythmn of music and fireworks. It was a fantastic and unique display!

Another trip was to see some amazing hot-air balloons, as they passed near Tokyo on their Japan-wide race. They went quite well with the sakura.

Even when the weather wan't so clear, there were other opportunities for views. This was on my first day, when I found the clouds to be quite dramatic.

I took the time off as an opportunity to visit Mt. Fuji, via Kawaguchiko Lake, where I stayed for about a week. The changing weather made it hard to see sights like this, 'aka-Fuji', when (s)he goes red in the rays of the falling sun.

Sitting in a lakeside cafe with friends for a couple of hours just to see this was well worth it. A sunset is an event like any other, with only the significance we choose to give it.

The early morning gives a different, delicate light that only exists for fleeting moments, just like the ume (plum blossom) themselves. The whole experience is like a warming illustration of Zen teachings. Live in the moment, for the moment is all that there is...

Morning Light

Sorry for not posting here for a while.. the blog may have been as dormant as Mt Fuji, but be assured that it is still alive!

Here is an example of the ume that flourished in March, just in time for the beginning of my Spring break and some enlightening, early-morning day-trips to Hondoiji.