Sakura in Hokkaido

Spring is the Sakura season. Cherry blossoms appear wherever their trees grow. This was the reason we joined a tour to Hokkaido. We wanted to see the sakura or cherry blossoms. Our guide told us that Goryokaku is the most beautiful Sakura Park in Hakodate in southern Hokkaido. This place is warmer than most so the sakura blooms come out first before other places.

True to his word, we saw a lovely park but not all the trees were in bloom. However, those that were, took my breath away. The delicate blossoms covered the branches in hues of pink and white. Some blossoms were deeper shades of pink. Many people crowded into the park to take photographs of the flowering trees. This week was the Golden Week in Japan where many Japanese were on holiday. They came out with their families to the parks, to the restaurants, to the shops to enjoy the cool weather and bright sunshine.

These blossoms do not last long either. The guide said that within two weeks they would have dropped and new leaves would emerge on the trees. So we were lucky to see them as their blooming depends on the weather too.

Other places also had sakura in bloom. Many homes had at least one flowering tree in their backyards. City parks too had their own trees, some in bloom while others were still bare, their buds still asleep. It is strange.

Flowers evoke a very happy sensation. I saw the delight on the faces of one of the ladies in our tour group. She kept exclaiming at the beauty of the blossoms. I was spell-bound by the beauty around me and I could not help but take many photos of these lovely flowers, to capture their essence if I could. Indeed, a thing of beauty is a joy forever. It rejuvenates one and entrances.

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