Sown by the wind and not by man,
You are fairest of the spring blossoms –
Yamazakura.
The valleys are burning with spring beauty. It’s time to go for a walk or a hike.
There are blossoms whose existence you only come to discover when they fallen to the ground. I call them the ‘fallen beauties.’ Often, I think, you can only find their true charms when they have been blown by the wind and have been scattered on the ground. Sometimes, I prefer looking down than looking up. There seems to be more things to be discovered on the earth than in the sky.
In my first few years in Japan, I didn’t know about the existence of the yamazakura – the mountain cherry blossoms. They are wild blossoms. They grow naturally and random and spontaneously in the valleys. You do not see them in the parks near the station. In the cities or big towns, you would never ever see an avenue of yamazakura; or a street lined with these tall trees. These natural cherry trees love to grow on slopes and usually at high places.
Yamazakura abounds at Maioka Park. You could spend the whole day at this prefecture park in peace and be bathed in beauty.
