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2010/04/07 - Cherry Blossom Report: Kamakura
While Scott and Francois will continue to report a few more days from the Kansai and Kanto regions, my visit to Kamakura today concluded the first part of the season's reporting for me. I will resume my hunt for cherry blossoms in more northern latitudes of Japan in a week or two.
Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha)
April 7, 2010 - beyond the peak
There aren't that many cherry trees on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple, the home of Kamakura's famous Great Buddha. But one well placed tree to the right of the Daibutsu lets visitors beautifully combine the statue with cherry blossoms into photos.
Kamakura Daibutsu
The cherry blossom season in Kamakura is approaching its end, as petal blizzards have started to cover the ground with thousands of pink dots, and green leaves are emerging from between the blossoms. Squirrels contributed to the downfall of the blossoms at Kotokuin Temple today, as whole gangs of them jumped around the trees, biting off one blossom after the other for their sweet nectar (I assume).
Cherry blossoms at Kotokuin Temple
Cherry blossoms and a squirrel at Kotokuin Temple
Genjiyama Park
April 7, 2010 - beyond the peak
Next I visited Genjiyama Park, a hilltop park along the Daibutsu hiking trail, which connects the Great Buddha with Kitakamakura. If the weather would have been better and the ground less soaked by recent rain, today could have been one last nice day for a hanami picnic.
Genjiyama Park
Trees have lost already a considerable number of petals, but still make for quite a nice sight, especially in combination with the occasional petal blizzards (hanafubuki). I am afraid, however, that the rain, which is forecast for later today, may put a definite end to the cherry blossom season at Genjiyama Park.
Genjiyama Park
Dankazura
April 7, 2010 - beyond the peak
I ended the report with a visit to Kamakura's most famous cherry blossom spot, Dankazura, the long approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, which is lined and covered by hundreds of cherry trees. Although the trees have already lost quite a few petals, the sight of the long cherry blossom tunnel was still spectacular.
Dankazura
Dankazura
Dankazura
At Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine I paid my respect to the fallen Oicho tree, the large ginkgo tree, which is said to have stood next to the stairs to Hachimangu's main buildings for over 1000 years, but which had grown too weak to stand through a stormy night earlier this year. After enjoying the tree's beauty on many past visits, including several autumn leaf reports, I felt rather sad on today's visit.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
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