One Day when Alex was at work, I took off for Tsuyama to enjoy the sakura trees in full bloom around Tsuyama's castle. I was very lucky to be in Japan during late March and early April, because I got to see the whole cycle of the sakura season, and I also got to attend more than a few beer-soaked "hanami," or sakura-viewing, picnics.
This guy is a Shinto priest made out of bronze. The paddle he's holding in his hands has something to do with Shintoism, though I have no earthly idea what.
Here's a shot of the pathway leading up to Tsuyama Castle, perched atop the town on a hill surrounded by beautiful stone walls. The red lanterns are all over Japan during sakura season, and people stay late into the night eating and drinking under their subtle glow.
A cluster of sakura flowers.
High school girls gather on the steps leading up to Tsuyama Castle for lunch. Japanese school kids where uniforms all the way through high school. Whacked-out sneakers and crazy haircuts are about the extent of rebellion.
Older women like hanami too.
Like most castles in Japan, Tsuyama Castle was destroyed during the Second World War. The reconstruction is spectacular, however, and the park is a very popular place for tourists and locals.
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