Bikkuri-pon! Asadoras have nearly always revolved around a female protagonist so this is a departure from recent history. Japan has such beautiful scenery. Wish I could be there.
Four minutes of colour and happiness through all seasons. Lovely for me to wake up to. Thankyou Mariko D
Thank you, Wendy, Junglekeeper and Acerholic. I' glad you like it!! Junglekeeper, you know "Asa ga kita". I liked that drama very much!! You saw it in Japan or in Canada? Yes, I also wonder why this time is a story of a man not a woman. They didn't talk anything about it. Fukushima is a really beautiful place. But they suffered the earthquake, Tsunami and the nuclear disaster. Some parts of Fukushima are still not permited to enter. The Olympic torch relay was going to start from Fukushima this spring but it couldn't because of Coronavirus.. I was planning ti visit there to see cherry blossoms. But I couldn't. I wish everything will be all right and I can see cherries in Fukushima. Also we can see Olympic next year.
It's one of my favorites, along with Carnation. The stories are quite inspirational. I saw them here.
Then you are watching "Yell", aren't you? I prefer "Hanako to Anne” to Carnation. When I was in Canada, I was watching "TV Japan", which included some trendy commercial broadcasting program by pay cable TV with other programs. . But I think NHK world is free satellite broadcasting.
There have been many good asadoras in recent memory. Of course there's the epic, Oshin. I'm impressed by the quality of the productions. Speaking of Anne, I'm reminded of the most beautiful Anne Watanabe in Gochisousan. I'm surprised to come upon an asadora fan in this forum. Is Yell good?
I'm not sure I'm an asadora fan or not, but asadoras are a kind of daily routine for many Japanese. We have to have those. To act at an asadora is a status for actors and actresses. To be a hero and heroin is a goo chance to be widely known for young ones. I'm very glad asadora became international! I want more people to know Japanese lifestyle, nature and the way of thinking. By the way, do you know Anne Watanabe got married with Mr Higashide who acted as her husband in Gochisousan? They had three children but it is said they will get a divorce in short time. But this is a garden forum not a gossip talking site, we have to stop now.
★Cherries in June, Takane-zakura at Kurobedaira on Mt, Tate (Tate-yama), June 22.2015 This year I haven’t seen enough cherries. I could see Somei-yoshinos in Tokyo, but because of the State of Emergency I couldn’t see double cherries around Tokyo and cherries in other prefectures. So I planned to visit Kurobedaira Plane on Mt. Tate (Tateyama) to see Takane-zakura blooming in June. But I couldn’t. Because of coronavirus, the accommodations on Tateyama didn’t open until July. We postponed our trip to July. We will visit there next week. Even if we visit there we won’t see Cherries. So I‘m posting pictures of my trip on June, 2015 which I didn’t post. After I came back to Japan, I became a member of the Cherry Blossom Society of Japan. Usually the annual meeting was held at Tamagawa University located in Kanagawa, about an hour ride of train from Tokyo station. But in 2015, the annual meeting was held at Botanic Garden of Toyama on June 21,2015. Members all over Japan gathered there, had presentations about cherries in many perspectives and talked about cherries. On the next day, June 22, 2015, we had an excursion to see Takane-zakura on Mt. Tateyama. Takane-zakura is also called Mine-zakura. It is one of eleven wild cherries grown in Japan. We traveled Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route from Toyama to Kurobedaira. First we took a bus to Tateyama Station. Then we got on a cable car to Bijodaira Station (977m). There we got on a route bus to Murodo (2450m). There were still a lot of snow there. Then we took Tateyama Tunnel Trolley bus to Daikanbo (2316m) and took Tateyama Ropeway to Kurobedaira. Scenery from Kurobedaira was so beautiful. We had a walk to see floweres blooming there. Uwamizu-zakura was also blooming in the bush. Then we saw some Takane-zakuras were blooming there. There weren’t so many Takane-zakura as I saw on Hinode-daira in Nasu. #141 But we enjoyed cherries in June there. Then we went back to Murodo and had a walk to Mikuriga-ike pond. There were still a lot of snow. We could’t see Raicho or rock ptarmigan there. But we had a wonderful time on Mt.Tateyama.
What a wonderful and happy posting Mariko. Cherries, snow, views and a very interested group of people. Great photos of what looks like a fantastic and informative day out. Thankyou for sharing. Where are you in the group photo btw ?
Thank you, Acerholic. I was in the center of the picture. I'm the sixth person from the right in the front line. I'm posting pictures I couldn't post last posting.
Good afternoon Mariko, what a lovely happy smile you have. Nice to put a face to a name !! My wife and I have marveled at your dramatic and pretty photos. What amazing scenery also. Enjoyed them very much.
I’m sorry I didn’t post anything after last July. But this year we are having rather very early blooming of flowers. Now Kan-zakura at Koishikawa Botanical Garden is beyond peak bloom or I might say it didn’t have peek bloom this year. Mumes started blooming and some Mumes are already in peak bloom. Kawazu-zakura which usually starts blooming in the middle of February is half bloom now. Since last year we are having rather strange weather. We had a very wet year till last October. Then we have a lot of dry and fine days. We had record rain fall on last July then we had hottest August ever. Some cherries lost their leaves. I noticed some cherries, especially young Beni-shidares and Yae-beni-shidares, started crazy blooms in many places. Even Kan-zakura at Inba Golf Course had some crazy blooms. No Somei-yoshinos had crazy blooms this year. Then I visited Koishikawa Botanical Garden on October 24 and found one branch of Kan-zakura had crazy blooms. The branch continued to bloom in November. The weather changed from wet to dry from November and we had several very very warm days over 20 degrees in November. We had rather cold days and very warm days in turn. When I visited the Botanical Garden on December 12, I found not only one branch but other branches also started to bloom. It must had been full bloom at the beginning of January. Then the new patient of COVID-19 started increasing at the end of the year. After the New Year's Day numbers of the people newly became positive went over 2000 in Tokyo and over 8000 in Japan. States of Emergency was declared in Tokyo Metropolitan and other 10 populated prefectures on January 7, 2021. We were supposed to stay home. Also a staff of the Botanical Garden had COVID-19 and it was closed until January 12. My husband visited the Botanical Garden on January 14, 2021 and said Kan-zakura was beyond the peek bloom. I visited there on January 20 and found cherries were finishing blooming on the most of branches. Mumes started blooming at that time. Then I visited there on February 4 and found some branches on the top of the Kan-zakura tree were blooming beautifully. Some white-eyes came to the Kan-zakura. Now we are having quite fine dry days in Tokyo and Pacific side of Japanese Islands. The temperature went up to 19 degrees on January 15. We also have rather clod days of 5 degrees. We had only 6 days of rain since beginning of this year. Japan Sea side is quite different. They have a lot of snow. About 1 week ago TV news told that 60 Kan-zakuras at Hokoen in Minamiboso city were 60% bloom. Usually there is an early cherry blossom festival there at this time of the year but it was canceled this year. I’d like to visit there but the State of Emergency is supposed to continue till March 7. I haven't even visit Shinjuku Gyoen Park. In Some places Cherries became full bloom but I haven't seen yet.
What a story Mariko, a tale of strange blooming and weather conditions and of course Covid. With all that you managed to post some lovely photos to cheer us all up. We are all in this boat together, so I'm sending my positive thoughts to you all with a hope it helps you to get through this. The sight of even a little cherry blossom is a definite tonic for everyone. So from this side of the world I say 'Thankyou'.
★Kawazu-zakuras on February 16, 2021 On February 16, 2021, I visited Seiwa Park near Kasuga Station. It is a very small local park just 20 minutes walk from my home. But I didn't know it. It locates between high buildings. There 4 Kawazu-zakuras were blooming beautifully. Two were middle sized trees and the other two were rather small trees. Kawazu-zakura at Harima-zaka Slope was just beyond the peek bloom at that day.
Mariko, you have been posting 'Kawazu-zakura' since forever, but I finally looked them up today. The town of Kawazu has an annual cherry blossom festival that has been cancelled this year, but there is still a page about the trees at Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival 2021 | Kyuhoshi, telling of the 8000 'Kawazu-zakura' trees planted along the Kawazu River and around town, and the "2 million tourists [that] visit this popular hanami spot". That page has a very good blossom photo. Also, at the bottom of the article is a link to 10 Most Popular Sakura Varieties in Japan, with some good photos. How fortunate to find such a nice location with these trees near you. @Willard is going to like your blossom photo with what looks to me like a Japanese White-Eye.
With all the building work around the world, there is nothing quite like the Cherry to soften the blow. Beautiful Kawazu-zakuras Mariko. As Wendy has said, you have been posting them forever, but please don't ever stop.
I’m not sure the difference between Japanese white-eye and white eye. In Tokyo and around, white-eyes are quite common in February and March. They come to Mumes and early blooming cherries. In early spring flowers blooming are still limited, so you can easily find them. This year Kan-zakuras were blooming in January. But I didn’t see them in January. They stay in Japan whole year. I’m not sure where they were then. Now you can see white-eyes easily. Sometimes several white-eyes come together to one blooming tree. But it is very difficult to take them together because they are very small and moving quickly.
Mariko, thank you very much for keeping up the postings from Japan. I didn't think I would have much to offer for this thread, until the Japanese White-eye was mentioned. A jolt out of the blue, it was a moment of—where have I come across that? For Shirley's benefit and yours, here was the Japanese White-eye at Bloedel Conservatory. I took these photos in 2013, so I don't know if he/she is still there, but at least it will give you a clearer picture. Too bad you can't come back to Vancouver to check it out!
Interesting. What is the purpose of using the half orange as a seed dispenser? Do the birds indulge in eating the fruit? Anyone know?
I posted this on Facebook, and @Josie NewWest sent me a message with two links: Feeding Birds with Oranges - Birds and Blooms and How to Feed Oranges to Wild Birds (sciencing.com). This one opens really noisily, maybe with an ad. It annoyed me enough to recommend that you read the first one and skip this one.
Thank you, Anne and Wendy. Sorry I didin’t write back soon. Now I know the white-eyes I saw were Japanese white-eye! I checked the Japanese Bird Guide again and knew the English name of the birds I saw were Japanese white-eye because there are many white-eyes in Asia and Oceania. Thank you, Wendy for the information about Kawazu. The town is doing very well with Kawazu-zakura tourism. So other towns in Izu Peninsula are trying to make their own new early blooming cherries and attract tourists. I wanted to visit some of them and see new cherries but I couldn’t this year. I hope to visit next year. ★Edogawa-bashi Park, Higo-hosokawa Garden and Chinzan-so on February 22, 2021 No.1 Under State of Emergency I can only visit places near-by or at least in Tokyo. So on February 22, 2021. I visited Edogawa-bashi Park, Higo-Hosokawa Garden and the Hotel Chinzan-so. I visited same places on February 21, 2019. At that time Mumes were blooming beautifully and Kawazu-zakuras wee just started to bloom. But this year Kawazu-zakura at the entrance of the Edogawa-bashi Park was full bloom. Mumes at th park and Higo-Hosokawa Garden were after the peak bloom. Because of COVID-19. The back gate of the Hotel Chinzan-so was closed and only the people who use the Hotel Chinzan-so only could visit the Garden. So we went to the café there. The hotel was very quiet. Half of the cafés and restaurants were closed. The hotel has a quite nice garden. It’s not big but beautiful. They were doing the artificial fogy garden to attracts people.(Tokyo is quite dry in winter so we can't see fog in Tokyo. We travel to see fog. But this year we can't.) There were Mumes and Camellias blooming there. Several Kawazu-zakuras were blooming there.
