The spring has already come on the calendar, but it may be still cold depend on the areas. Here in Kyushu, maybe the warm winter affects,
but it has been quite sunny and warm recently during the daytime.
After having stayed at home in the winter, such fine and sunny daylight makes me feel lighter and enjoy walking around.
The moment I feel the visit of spring is when I see plum blossoms in the town.
Each of blossoms is not so big, but when you see a whole tree fully bloomed, it freshly colours the winter landscapes.
In Kyushu, Dazaifu-Tenmangu shrine is famous for viewing plum blossoms. A lot of trees are planted and blooms white or pink blossoms for Michizane Sugawara,
"the god of learning", who is enshrined here. He loved this blossom very much.
Near the main hall of the shrine, there is a plum tree called "TOBIUME" (the flying plum tree).
It is said that this was originally planted in the garden of Michizane's house in Kyoto and he loved this very much.
When he was relegated from the capital to Dazaifu, he felt sad to leave the tree there and made a farewell haiku for this tree.
Then it adores Michizane so much that it flew to Dazaifu to follow him. "The flying plum tree" is named after such an episode.
I have never seen this tree in full bloom, so would like to make an opportunity to see it.
Plum blossoms have bloomed from February, then in the middle of March, cherry blossoms began to colour the town instead.
You can see cherry blossoms already bloomed at the graduation ceremony nowadays, though it used to be a symbol of the entrance ceremony.
Meanwhile, in Sapporo where HSS headquarter is located in, cherry blossoms usually bloom in May! This shows how vertically long the istle of Japan is!
March is the month of the graduation ceremony which represents a farewell.
It is said that there are lot of encounters as well as farewells. When we think of new encounters,
maybe we can spend such farewell season positively. The spring is not only the season of farewell and encounter but also that of fresh start.
The brightly coloured spring landscapes would cheer your new departure up. Why don't you start to challenge something new for yourself?
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