Living in Japan and writing a blog about everyday life here, avoiding a cherry blossom post in spring feels like something almost unthinkable. The beautiful trees are sparkling everywhere in pink and white, be it in the city, in parks or in the countryside and on the mountain slopes. Going inside, cherry blossom decorations are abundant in shops and stores and restaurants and the sakura season is celebrated in sweets and beer, in special sakura menus and with limited time sakura goods. Looking back I see that this is the fifth yearly installment of sakura focused posts (I cannot really grasp that I have already been writing this blog for so long).
The weather has been coldish lately and the blossoms were a bit later than usual, but when they finally arrived and the sun was inviting, our little family did hanami, cherry blossom viewing, having a picnic in the beautiful grounds around the old Fukuoka castle ruins. We come here a few times a year, a peaceful oasis in the middle of Fukuoka. I always enjoy coming to places where you can feel, sense a piece of long gone world still being here today. It is a little bit like coming to another time where there is so much to explore, and I am sure our son felt the same way when we were walking around the ruins. He was busy chasing butterflies, finding branches to use as walking sticks and above all strongly wanting to climb the high stone walls, insisting he could very well do that. I believe he very well could.
All the playing took its toll and our son got tired and wanted to be carried and go home. As we were heading back though, he soon found a new source of energy when he saw an exciting old series of steps that he of course just had to climb. I am sure we will be back here next year, just as I am confident there will be a sakura post in 2025 as well. For anyone interested, below are the posts from previous years.
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