March 4, 2015

Huyu-botan (Paeonia suffruticosa var. hiberniflora) flowers: Tsurugaoka-hachimangu



The pale sunlight of late February is secretly getting in through the opening of the straw shelter to gently illuminate the thin silky petals of these winter-blooming flowers.

The best time of Huyu-botan (winter peony) flowers will soon come to end after fulfilling the mission of pleasing our eyes with their splendid and auspicious figures in the almost flowerless world of winter.

Looking overhead in the garden, the graceful blossoms of Ume trees, which long waited for the arrival of springtime, have begun to bloom in the air one after another to let us feel the fragrant joy of this season of rebirth.


Huyu-botan (Paeonia suffruticosa var. hiberniflora) flowers: Tsurugaoka-hachimangu


Early spring sky: Yuigahama-beach



We can see a fragment of the eternity beyond the distant horizon of the sea.

The thin beams of sunlight falling down through the clouds are quietly lightening the sea surface, into which people are gazing in silence.


Shira-Ume (white ume blossoms) : Tokei-ji



The white blossoms of Ume seem to be heartily enjoying the bright sunlight and the true blue sky which early spring has just brought here.

Before anyone else, they bloom with grace and spread a delicate sweet aroma to welcome the long-awaited advent of the warm spring sun.


A stone image of Shokannon-bosatsu: Tokei-ji


Shira-Ume flowers (white ume blossoms) : Tsurugaoka-hachimangu


Jyugatsu-sakura (Prunus × subhirtella cv. Autumnalis.) flowers (spring flowering) : Tokei-ji


Kou-bai ( red-flowering Japanese apricot) flowers: Kaizo-ji