Tranquil white cherry blossoms in bloom at Shinjuku Garden, Tokyo, against red foliage backdrop.
Stunning white cherry blossoms in full bloom at Shinjuku Garden, Tokyo.

Yet Another Spring Comes in Japan

Last year when I first arrived in Japan, I was really looking forward to my first Hanami. But unfortunately the earthquake happened just before the warm south wind came, and everyone was told to constrain themselves and feel sad for the people who died and suffered, instead of enjoy cherry blossoms.

Last year when I first arrived in Japan, I was really looking forward to my 初花見 (first ever Hanami). But unfortunately the earthquake happened just before the warm south wind came, and everyone was told to constrain themselves and feel sad for the people who died and suffered, instead of enjoy cherry blossoms.

Sanzenin Garden in Kyoto

The truth is, cherry still blossomed, and it was overwhelmingly beautiful for me. Not allowed to do it publicly, I was quietly enjoying the Sakura from my local McDonald. My street was long and full of big cherry trees on both side, the best you can imagine as a foreigner first seeing it. I also found a swing not far from the McDonald, right under a huge sakura tree. I was swinging until quite dizzy of course.

Jizo at Sanzenin around Kyoto

Finally, after a year, we are allowed to enjoy the sakura openly. Thus all the gaijins here are having an ‘overdose’ (thanks for Adrien for the perfect term) of sakura. We skipped the joy of Yoyogi and Ueno, but we could not resist the charm of Shinjuku Gyoen. We also end up going to some splendid hanami trips first in Saitama, then in the deep mountains of Nara and Kyoto. I will leave the rest to the pictures. Enjoy!

A Sakura Patch at Yoshino Yama

Sakura at the Yoshinoyama Village

Sakura at the Aoyama Cemetery

The Sakura River of Naka Meguro

Sakura in Naka Meguro

Little Sakuras at the Shinjuku Gyoen

Sakuras Flying Up at the Shinjuku Gyoen

Pinkish Sakura at Yoshino Yama

Hallway of Sakuras at the Shinjuku Gyoen

Roof of Sakura at Shinjuku

Lonely Sakura in Saitama

End of a wonderful day - Nara Temple

Question: can you guess which of those pictures were taken by a Mamiya 645… an infrared camera… and a Fujifilm X-Pro 1? The rest has been taken with the Nikon D800.

And for more awesome content about Japan, follow Jordy Meow on Instagram ! 🎵

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Who Am I

Jordy Meow
This is me!

I am Jordy Meow, a French photographer based in Tokyo. I explore offbeat places in Japan.

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Violet whispers, Amongst murmuring blossoms, Concrete dreams unfold. 紫のささやき、 花々のざわめきの中で、 コンクリートの夢が広がる。#HydrangeaDreams #AjisaiSeason #GardenWhispers #ConcretePath #VibrantJapan #OffbeatJapan #Japan
Neon whispers glow, Blue night drowned in vibrant hues, Futures come alive. ネオンひらめく、 青い夜に溺れ、 未来の息吹。 #neonnights #tokyonights #shinjuku #kabukicho #urbanjapan #offbeatjapan #japan
Moss whispers softly, In a tranquil forest's heart, Nature cradles peace. 苔のささやき、 静かな森の心で、 自然は安らぎを抱く。 #SereneJapan #ForestWhispers #NatureCradle #OffbeatJapan #Japan #MossyRoots #PeacefulRetreat
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Golden leaves cascade, Whispers of blue sky's embrace— Nature's fleeting gold. ---金の葉が舞う、 青空の抱擁— 儚き自然の金。---#naturepoetry #forestmagic #autumnaesthetic #offbeatjapan #japan #mounttakaonature #etherealbeauty
Fierce Shisa guards high, Colors dance 'neath azure skies, Ryukyu spirit shines. 高く見守るシーサー、 色が青天に踊る、 琉球の魂。 #offbeatjapan #japan #okinawa #shisa #ryukyu #culturalheritage #vibrantcolors
Water's whisper falls, Moss and leaves embrace the stones— Autumn's quiet grace. 水音囁く、 苔葉が石抱く— 秋の静けさ。#SereneWaterfalls #NatureWhisper #MossyGathering #EtherealGlow #WabiSabi #OffbeatJapan #Japan
Circles in blue skies, Whispers of a future dream, Alien hues fade.  青い空の円、 未来の夢の囁き、 異星の色消える。 #offbeatjapan #japan #abandonedarchitecture #futuristicdesign #urbanexploration #architecturelovers #decaybeauty