On my way home from Kitano Tenmangu Shrine the other day, I stopped by the Imperial Palace Park to enjoy the plum blossom. The trees at Kitano Tenmangu are probably more famous, but the shrine grounds were also a lot more crowded. Though each tree in the park had its admirers, there was really only a small scattering of people around, and so I could enjoy the blooms in a more relaxed and pleasant manner.
And there is something very calming about viewing plum blossom.
The scent of plum blossom is subtle, not strong, but deep like wine and very rich. I love to stick my nose in a spray and take a big sniff!
梅が香に追い戻さるるさむさかな [松尾 芭蕉]
ume ga ka ni
oimodosaruru
samusa kana
~ Matsuo Bashō
plum blossom scent –
this chases off
the cold!
( tr. Michael Lambe)
Yukio Kuze says
February 27, 2015 at 7:00 amThank you for this nice article ,photos and translation!
Still a little cold in Kyoto, plum blossom make me feel happy for the coming spring.
I’ve read Deep Kyoto Walk for a couple of times. Love it!
Thank you.
Michael Lambe says
February 27, 2015 at 9:54 amThank you for the kind words, Yukio!
Rosemary Jeffcott says
January 29, 2016 at 10:55 amI lived close to Tama Reien (多摩霊園), a very large and old cemetery in Fuchu, Tokyo, for more than ten years. It is a wonderful old cemetery-cum-garden of spring blooms, including plum and cherry blossom avenues and the fragrance of many daphne bushes. Actually, Edo castle does a pretty impressive blossom display, too, come to think of it. Here in Australia, as I write, the dogwood flowers have been replaced by leaves, early roses are blooming, the first apricots and mulberries are ready to eat, and the birds are having a gustatory ball!! Will look for Deep Kyoto Walk.
Michael Lambe says
February 22, 2016 at 6:19 pmＴｈａｎｋ ｙｏｕ ｆｏｒ ｓｈａｒｉｎｇ ｙｏｕｒ ｍｅｍｏｒｉｅｓ， Ｒｏｓｅｍａｒｙ！