A tulip coming into bloom closed its petals tightly to endure cold rain of spring.
The photo was taken @ yard yesterday.
Thank you for viewing in lightbox and I hope you have a wonderful Easter holiday and a week ahead!
I found at a stroll around the park in my neighbourhood, the Field Horsetails were sprouting up on the ground.
The sprout of Field Horsetail is called TSUKUSHI in Japanese and it gives a poetic touch to the early spring in Japan. People love it as a sign of spring.
Wishing you all a Happy Easter!
More clear view of shoots is in lightbox with full-screen.
I prayed for that no spring frost falls anymore in this spring. Because, the flower of Magnolia Stellata is too weak in frosts. Once a frost, the petals should be damaged and become dirty.
Thank you for your viewing in lightbox with fullscreen.
Wishing you all a wonderful Friday and weekend!
The image was taken at a stroll around the city of Tochigi. I tried to shoot it in overexposure intentionally.
When I saw the signboard, I thought that it was so good timing for a pot of tea at that time.
But, unfortunately the cafe was closed already.
Only a hanging signboard had been left on the street.
KATAKURI will be their best to see in the next few days.
The image was taken by FUJIFILM X-E1 + Nikkor-S Auto 50mm f1.4
The lens above had been used my father and if I'm not mistaken that the first release of the lens is more than 40 years ago.
This lens is one of the mementos from my father, and I sometime use it to remember my father.
I think that this is undistinguished or featureless image, just a closed-up photo of camellia.
However, I decided to share this photo with you, because of the perfect and unblemished doubled-petals which are elegant befitting a Maiden of Camellia.
It is a quite hard to find such a beautiful and shapely petals.
Enjoy the perfect petals on lightbox with full-screen.
In Japanese, the flower in photo above is called "Otome Tsubaki" that means "Maiden of Camellia".
When I see a "Maiden of Camellia", I immediately think about a novel titled La Dame aux camelias or The Lady of Camellias written by Alexandre Dumas fils.
The further association is one of my favorite operas La traviata composed by Giuseppe Verdi based on the novel La dame aux Camélias.
Because, this opera is performed remain in the original title of the novel in Japan.
Let's enjoy "brindisi", and let's toast for your happy Sunday, for Maiden of Camellia too!
Best and attractive viewing of this image is in lightbox, and then click the key of "F11" for full-screen.
Thank you for your viewing. Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday and a week ahead!
This weekend is the best time for SAKURA viewing. The HANAMI season of this year has come nearly 10 days earlier than usual.
hope you enjoy HANAMI on lightbox, and then press the KEY of "F11" for full-screen.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, it might be Camellia Wilamina.
More attractive viewing is in lightbox, and then press the key of "F11" for full-screen.
Thank you for your viewing. Wishing you all a wonderful Friday and weekend.
These are first opened cherry blossoms of this season in my neighbourhood.
The flowering of the cherry tree of this year is earlier than usual.
Perfect and attractive view is in lightbox, and then press key of "F11" for full-screen!!!
Enjoy for viewing and the holiday of Vernal Equinox Day！
Still I remember one Chinese poetry, with a bit of bitter memory, that I learned at high school.
I had to learn the Chinese classical literature as one of the subjects of languages at the final class of high school. But, I hated the subject of Chinese classics at that time and I failed exam every time. So I was forced to learn by heart or memorize one Chinese poetry completely. That was my teacher's pitiful and helpful arrangement for me to be able to graduate, otherwise I could not finish the final class.
The title of poetry was "Plum Blossom" (梅花）
牆角数枝梅 Some of branches of the plum at the corner of the earthen fence
凌寒独自開 (were) bloomed alone while enduring cold.
遙知不是雪 I recognize that is not snow even from distant view,
為有暗香来 because there is a sweet-scent fragrance out from somewhere around.
Poetry by Wang Ang-shi(王安石）
My translation from Chinese to English wouldn't be a little bit satisfied because of my poor ability in both languages of Chinese and English, but I hope you could understand the meaning roughly.
I expect someone corrects it to the exact words.
Best viewing is in lightbox, or just click the image, and then press the key of "F11" for full screen, you can enjoy gorgeous viewing!!
Thank you for your viewing. Have a happy Friday!!!
The plant is called Sansyu-yu in Japanese as I told in my previous upload. The Sansyu-yu is also known as "Haru-kogane-bana" that means "Spring Golden Flower" in word-for-word translation.
Japanese cornel, called "Sansyu-yu" in Japanese, bloomed like split opened or burst from a husk.
The plant is a species of dogwood family and native to China, and came to Japan via Korea peninsula at early 18the century as a medicinal plant.
It is said that the seeds harvested from the plant are to be effective in treating infertility and poor circulation.
The bud of this plant is wrapped in a hard husk shown in the image below.
It was warm Saturday afternoon.
The image of this peaceful scene was taken on last Saturday at the Ueno Park when I visited the exhibition held in the Tokyo National Museum seen in front in this image. The exhibition was "Enku's Buddhas".
Enku was a Buddhist monk in 17th century, he had traveled on foot all over Japan and carved more than hundred thousands of wooden statues of Buddha.
I enjoyed the appreciation of the Enku's great 60 pieces of work in that exhibition.
This is called Setsubun-sou in Japanes that is one of species of Ranunculaceae family and an endemic species of Japan.
It is very small flower, the diameter of flower is about 2.0cm from 1.5cm and the height of this plant is 10cm, more or less. You can compare the flower with a honeybee as shown in the image below.
This plant grows in colonies and blooms around middle of February as a sign of early spring. However, flowering was delayed almost half a month than usual because of the severe cold of this winter.
As early as March the cherry tree in the Ueno Park began to bloom. The Photo was taken today (March 9th) afternoon at the Ueno Park, Tokyo.
People enjoy HANAMI with warm sunlight of early spring under the plum blossoms.
It was the place of plum blossom festival held at the Shinto shrine called Yushima Tenjin where is most famous place for plum blossom viewing in Tokyo.
It was over 20 degrees Celsius today so that the place was crowded with people even in weekdays.
