Japan Journal

Tricky time of year

The cherry blossoms in Tokyo are peaking today and while they are always enjoyable, the right weather rarely coincides for taking good pictures. The pink color only pops when there is clear blue sky that provides the right contrasting background and framing a picture that captures the expansive restless beauty […]

Cool Japan

Cherry Blossom Japanese Vocabulary

The Japanese language is the best equipped language in the world for flower viewing. Hundreds of years of experiences and poetry are packed into the vocabulary. Impress and amaze your Japanese friends when using these expressions: Hana-ikada (花筏): “flower petal boat” when a pond, steam or river is filled with […]