Decided to go back to Gyoda again this weekend.

We had such a good time last time we went we decided we wanted to check out the cherry blossoms this spring. Managed to visit some really nice places.

We originally wanted to use the rental bicycles that they have in front of the station but we got there past noon and all of them were taken unfortunately.
Fortunately for us, it ended up getting a bit colder later on so it actually worked out.

We got lucky as there was a really convenient sightseeing bus that rolled through the station to all of the major places in the city every 45 minutes or so.

We checked out the cherry blossoms at Gyoda Castle and they had the Hanachozu 花手水, pots of flowers floating in water. We were able to see a few of these throughout the city which was nice.
They also had traditional umbrellas on display in a few areas around the castle which was really pretty.

After Gyoda Castle we visited the Sakitama Burial Mounds which had some really beautiful views of the cherry blossoms.
There was also a flock of herons flying around the area but I wasn't able to get a very good photo of any of them.
Luckily we got some great photos of the cherry blossoms and the main mound and had a really enjoyable time.

We also stopped by Suijo Park and there were some food stalls in the area, but we got there when everything was just about closed so we only got to see a few of the vendors.
We managed to get a really tasty lemonade and a latte though. Both tasted really good.
Surprisingly there were a lot of cosplayers at the park.
We probably saw like 20-30 people cosplaying using the bridges and cherry blossoms in the area.

On the way back to the station we managed saw this river during the bus ride and so we backtracked a little bit after getting to the station about 5 minutes walking and got to enjoy some really phenomenal views of the cherry blossoms along the river.
There were hardly any people there as well, surprisingly.

Overall it was a really awesome time!

咲き誇る姿は圧巻でした！

満開🌸で大迫力でしたよ＾＾

2022.4/3.AM location:わに塚の桜

本栖湖湖畔にある洪庵キャンプ場でキャンプをした際に撮影した写真です。夕日に照らされ、オレンジに光る富士山がとても綺麗でした。

山形県の酒田市にある玉簾の滝です。前景に植物をいれることで滝の大きさを表現してみました。

桜と富士山
そろそろ富士山の麓の桜に咲いてますので楽しみです。
山梨県富士吉田市忠霊塔の公園に撮影した。

山梨県身延山久遠寺に桜撮影に伺った時の一枚です。仲良さそうなご夫婦の後姿に今までも、これからも、ずっと一緒って絆を感じられました。
桜の四辻越しに幸せと春の暖かさを添えて

小田原城にて
天守と桜とヒヨドリ

奈良県の春日大社周辺です。柑橘の実がたわわに実り、朱色の鳥居の上で、五穀豊穣を表しているようでした。

Castle in the clouds
The Takamatshu castle is known as the castle in the sky. In the early morning from November to March we can see the clouds covering the castle. Unfortunately we were little late but still we got this nice view.
Location: Takahashi, Okayama.

The castle in the Sky
The Takamatshu castle is one as the castle in sky. Its lo ated on the top of the mountain. From the castle observatory we got this fascinating view of the castle with the green mountains.
Location: Takahashi, Okayama

In the depth of true nature. On the way of our journey to Nachi falls we start treck from Diamonzaka. The whole road is full with very cedar trees. It was an amazing experience. We really feel the nature here. There are many trees which are more than 800 years old.
Location: Diamonzaka, Wakayama

The nachi waterfall is one of the most famous waterfall in Japan. Its really very beautiful. The combination of the mountain, waterfall and the three storied pagoda makes the the environment so beautiful and scenic. During spring there are also lot of cherry blossom which creates the whole environment more eye shooting.
Location: Nachi falls, Wakayama

目白庭園での一枚
夕暮れの水面にリフレクション

茅野市エコーライン 綱置場
7年に一度行われる御柱祭
コロナウイルスで、トレーラーにて2日より、山出し開始。
上社、下社があり、明日からは上社の山出し！

山形県尾花沢市にある銀山温泉の奥に進むとある｢白銀の滝｣
名前の通り雪景色に流れる滝は白銀のようでした！雪景色と滝を同時に見れるので観光にもオススメです！
撮影:2022/1/8
canon EOS 6Dmarkii
ss2.5 f16 iso100
レンズ:EF 24-105 F3.5-5.6 IS STM

A autumnal beauty of shinjuku national park. Shinjuku is one of the best destination to see the autumn colors n Tokyo. The water in the pond creates a good reflection of the bridge. Its one my favourite destination for autumn in Tokyo.
Location: shinjuku, Tokyo

静かに佇む桜を見せてくれる、千葉県市川市のじゅんさい池です

大阪市の大阪城公園、西の丸庭園からみた大阪城です。庭園内は200円の入園料が必要ですが、大阪城が目の前に見え、季節の花々が咲き誇るのでとても美しいです。春は桜の名所です。白いユキヤナギが群生している姿も絶景。

Traditional city with traditional make up. The new leafs of the willow trees makes the places very picture perfect.
Location: Kurashiki bikan historical quarter, Okayama

Kurashiki bikan historical quarter is a very popular destination. I visited this place during sunset. Its a superb experience. Highly recommended place.
Location: Kurashiki, Okayama

東京都杉並区を流れる善福寺川で撮影しました。

夜桜。幻想的な雰囲気。

[English／日本語]
Japanese law will change drastically from April, and those who come to Japan to study at the age of 18 need to be well informed about the new law. So what are the major changes? Do you know?

1 Change in the age of adulthood
Until now, the age of adulthood in Japan has been 20. However, as of April 1, the age will change to 18. With the age of adulthood at 18, people will be able to sign contracts for apartments, credit cards, etc., which were previously only allowed at the age of 20. In addition, women used to be able to get married at the age of 16, but this age has also been changed to 18.

2 Things to be aware of
Some things do not change when the age of adulthood turns 18. These are smoking, drinking and gambling. In Japan, the minimum age for smoking, drinking, and gambling is 20, but this age remains 20 even though the age of majority has changed. Even if you do not smoke or drink yourself, you cannot purchase Please be careful.

The rush of foreign students entering Japan will start in April. International students should make sure to understand the rules of Japan. Japanese people, these are international students who have been waiting to study in Japan for up to two years. We would appreciate it if you could watch over them warmly.

4月から日本の法律が大きくかわります。18歳で日本に留学してくる人は新しい法律についてよく知らなければなりません。では何が大きく変わるのでしょう。みなさんは知っていますか？

①成人年齢の変更
これまで、日本の成人年齢は20歳でした。しかし、4月1日からは18歳に変わります。成人年齢が18歳になったことで、今まで20歳からしか許されなかったアパートの契約やクレジットカードの契約等ができるようになります。また、今まで女性は16歳から結婚ができましたが、こちらも18歳からになりました。

②気を付けなければならないこと
成人年齢が18歳になっても変わらないものがあります。それは喫煙や飲酒やギャンブルです。日本では喫煙や飲酒やギャンブルは20歳からですが、こちらは成人年齢が変わっても20歳のままです。自分が吸わない・飲まないとしても購入することはできません。気をつけてください。

4月から留学生の入国ラッシュです。留学生のみなさんは日本のルールをしっかりと理解しておきましょう。日本人のみなさん、最長で2年間、日本に留学することを待ってきた留学生たちです。温かく見守っていただけたら幸いです。

広島県庄原市にある丑寅神社。
鎮守の森に包まれた鳥居の様子は、いかにもかくりよの門。
いろんな神社に行きましたが、自然とここまで調和した場所はなかなか珍しいように感じます。

山梨県にある、徳島堰の桜並木。

夏の長野の田舎道をのんびりドライブしてたときに何だか取りたくなった景色です。
高い建物もなくて空がとても広く、遠くまで見渡せる田舎の景色はほんとに心が和むと思います。

春だねぇ

It's finally starting to feel like spring.
Loving the cherry blossoms around Tokyo already, it just needs to get a bit warmer.
Temperature feels a lot more up and down this year, but maybe it's just my imagination.

Hoping I can get out this weekend and enjoy some more views outside of Tokyo.
I'm not sure how much the cherry blossoms have bloomed in Saitama, but I enjoyed seeing all the photos and videos of the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival.

It's a bit too far/expensive for a day trip 6 hours on a train doesn't sound fun, but it'd be nice to see them one day.
From my knowledge, the cherry blossoms tend to stay in bloom longer there so it'd be nice to see them eventually.
Either way, I'm just happy spring is finally here!

東京スカイツリー