Japan, Takashima - Canopies of Sakura

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Spring is generally a good season to visit any temperate countries. This is the season where wild flowers bloom aplenty and the weather is typically mild and cool.

In Japan, a visit during spring is also often associated with the cherry blossom (a.k.a. Sakura) season. Cherry blossom viewing or Hanami (i.e. flower viewing) is an age-old traditional Japanese custom. Every year during the cherry blossom season, thousands of foreign tourists visit Japan just to enjoy the experience of viewing the country's famed cherry blossoms.

Visiting the city of Takashima and its surrounding region in April 2018, I was treated to the wonderful experience of walking and viewing stretches of cherry blossoms along Lake Biwa that continued for almost 4km (about 2.5 miles). This is in the Makinocho Kaizu area that is just 20 minutes walk from the Makino Station. 

Sakura in Makinocho Kaizu, Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (2018)

Canopy of sakura that stretched for several kilometres, Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (2018)

I stayed here for 2 days and those days were among my most memorable spent in Japan. Slow strolls to view cherry blossoms, casual hikes in the mountains, leisurely walks along the sandy shores of Lake Biwa both in the day and at night, sipping matcha (Japanese Green Tea) at locally-run cafes and taking in the clean and fresh air of Takashima....... life in Shiga was beautiful for me, even though I was just visiting for a few days of a relatively short vacation. 

Greeting Lake Biwa "Good Morning", Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (2018)

Hanami viewing during tea-time served with matcha and mocha (Japanese rice cake), Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (2018)

Sakura up-close, Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (2018)

Author at the sandy shores of Lake Biwa, Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (2018)

Lake Biwa, Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (2018)

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