We spent three weeks together in March and April of 2007 travelling around admiring and photographing the “floral wave” of cherry blossoms in the Kyoto and Tokyo areas.

Spring 2007 was considered somewhat an unusual cherry blossom season, because Tokyo blossomed earlier than Kyoto, even though Kyoto is further south and west than Tokyo.

So, Tokyo being earlier to flower, we went first to the lovely garden of Chinzanso in the grounds of the Four Seasons Hotel.

One of many highlights of the trip was a visit to Yoshino near Nara. Yoshino is known for an estimated thirty thousand cherry trees spread out across the town on hillsides, and in fact the cherry trees in Washington, D.C. came from Yoshino.

Nijo Castle covers a vast area with several gardens, including a lovely tranquil tea garden with views of rippling waters.

The Heian Shrine is worth a visit at any time of the year, but none quite so colourful as during Cherry blossom time. The Heian Shrine has several beautiful gardens of different themes.