Chasing the cherry blossoms in Kansai

The forecast said optimum viewing was up to the 19th of April.   Originally scheduled to fly to Osaka on the 20th, we rebooked our flight for the 17th to make it to Mt. Yoshino.  The fabled mountain was probably the last stronghold of hanami (cherry blossom viewing) in the Kansai area for the season. Yoshinoyama to the Japanese, it was the star in Kurosawa’s film, Dreams, resplendent with rows upon rows of cherry trees filling the landscape with undulating waves of blossoms in varying shades of pink, from a delicate blush to a light amaranth. Yes, this dream can finally be ours to live, we fantasized as our plane landed in Kansai Airport late at night.  The overnight stay in Kyoto seemed too long a wait for that much-awaited trip to our mountain destination.

So what, you may ask, is the big deal about hanami? Well, it’s been around for centuries with its beginnings during the Nara period (710-794) when the blossom of the moment was ume (plum).  By the Heian period (794-1185) sakura (cherry) became the flower du jour, with Emperor Saga throwing sake-driven, flower-viewing feasts underneath the blossoming sakura trees at Kyoto’s Imperial Court. Sakura was also used to announce the rice-planting season and divine the year’s harvest.  In the Shinto tradition, offerings were made to the sakura trees, which contained the revered kami spirits.

The tradition continues to this day when people hold hanami parties in parks all over Japan to welcome Spring with the blooming of these most beloved flowers.  The blooms are followed closely — from the first bud to the final petal falling from the tree in different areas monitored by the Japan Weather Association as well as private agencies, websites and blogs.  The flowers reach their peak about a week after the first bud opens and last only a week after that so timing is crucial for viewing trips.

We ourselves followed the blogs religiously and to our dismay found that the sakura of Mt. Yoshino had opened a few days earlier than expected making our scheduled trip a few days too late.  We still hoped for the best, though, as we set out on an early morning train trip from Kyoto Station.  The weather was not cooperating, however, as rains were forecast for the day. 

As we approached Yoshino, verdant mountains started to dominate the landscape.  The first trees were apparently planted more than 1,300 years ago with the cherry trees of different varieties now numbering around 30,000.  Since we were on the last leg of the hanami season, our best bet was to head for the middle (Naka Senbon) and top part (Oku Senbon) of the mountain since the sakura at the lower part (Shimo Senbon) had mostly fallen to the ground already. Luckily, when we got off the train, there was a shuttle bus waiting for Naka Senbon which we were able to board immediately. 

Reaching Naka Senbon, we jumped off the bus and followed the trail to a viewpoint, which was a steep hike that seemed even more laborious with the drop in temperature and the threat of rain from the ominous clouds above.  As we went higher up the mountain, however, it became greener and flowering bushes started to dot the trail. It also began to rain, but oh-so-lightly, just enough to create a mist that gave the surrounding woods a fairy-tale quality that was quite magical. We were half expecting to see elves and nymphs or maybe those Shobijin twin fairies of Mothra fame singing the Mosura No Uta prayer “Motha – raaa- yaaa, Motha-raaa-yaaa!”  The thought must have worked because lo and behold, we saw the first sakura tree, glorious with its pink blossoms, a calming presence in the cold of the forest.  It almost did not belong there but its radiance was enough to make the whole trip worthwhile.  Through the fog we saw a couple more cherry trees and finally reached the view point which turned out to be anticlimactic and disappointing.  Alas, most of the cherry trees in the mountain slopes had turned dark brown with the pink petals already on the ground. 

We decided to take the shuttle to the highest point of Oku Senbon where the trees bloom the latest but when we got there the rains became stronger and the fog thicker.  With almost zero visibility, it was more prudent to head down before conditions got worse.  At Shimo Senbon, we encountered a most charming town with shrines and temples, the most delicious chestnuts, and as a reward for all that climbing — shopping! There were many arts and crafts shops that filled our bags and ended our Yoshino adventure on a very happy note. 

The next day we set out for Arashiyama on the western outskirts of Kyoto. Our friend, chef Bambi Sy Gobio of Restaurante Pia y Damaso had just arrived from Manila and was able to join us for the trip. We started with the Tenryu-ji Temple, a World Heritage Site built in 1339 by the ruling shogun Ashikaga Takauji.  The temple has a beautiful landscape garden designed by Muso Soseki, featuring a central pond surrounded by rocks, pine trees and flowering plants.  The forested Arashiyama mountains in the background act as borrowed scenery, completing the garden design’s composition.

Exiting the temple’s gardens, we encountered what is probably the area’s piece de resistance:  The Bamboo Grove Forest.   The walk through the forest of towering bamboo trees that sway gently with the wind is truly magnificent.  It’s a stroll you wouldn’t want to end because of the grandeur of it all.  There was a shrine along the way but we decided to skip it because we were more intrigued by the former villa of the silent screen actor Okochi Denjiro.  Unlike some of those tacky Hollywood stars, this Japanese celebrity used his wealth to create an elegant villa and gardens with a commanding view of the Arashiyama mountains, which we contemplated over a cup of matcha green tea and rice cakes offered by the Villa’s staff. 

On the way home, we saw a sign to the Monkey Mountain, which we could not resist as animal lovers but felt a bit guilty about as we do with most zoos as they keep animals in cages.  This one, however, was the reverse:  the macaques are roaming free in the mountains while tourists are the ones contained in the cage! It was a holding room, actually, with refreshments and souvenirs, but still a constricting “cage” from which you can feed them.  

Day 3, we reserved for something we always wanted to see but never had enough time for during our past trips to Kyoto:  The Fushimi Inari Taisha, a Shinto shrine in the south known for its vermillion torii gates that number in the thousands.  It is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.  Even if we had seen many photos of this shrine before, we were still not prepared for the breadth and scale of those kilometric torii — quite spectacular as they snaked all around the mountains.  Although the climb can be steep at certain points, there are refreshment stops as respite and some interesting shrines and altars to admire with the ubiquitous fox statues carved in stone as guardians.   The foxes, considered the messengers of Inari, are mysterious creatures that can supposedly possess humans by entering through their fingernails.  The very thought made the whole atmosphere quite eerie indeed especially when visited close to sunset.

Gion is always a must-stop for us in Kyoto particularly at dusk when the place comes alive with the geishas and maikos shuttling to their appointments.  At Hanami-koji street we spotted a gaggle of tourists who must have been tipped that there was a big chance of spotting a geisha coming out from a machiya and true enough one appeared and despite pleadings from the Kyoto Tourist Association not to disturb them as they are professionals who have work to do, the tourists, us included, snapped away.  Actually, our photos were not that sharp because their presence is quite disarming — so impeccably dressed, coiffed and made up.  They seem to come from another world and one is just awestruck looking at them.  Photographing them seems almost sacrilegious.

Determined to see more of them and in more gracious circumstances, we booked a ticket for the Miyako Odori show, a once-a-year event held in the spring, which has geikos (the term they prefer, meaning “arts child” as opposed to geisha or “arts person’) and maikos (apprentices) performing their famous “cherry blossom” dances with traditional instruments as accompaniment.  It was a most unforgettable show with 60 of them wearing the most exquisite kimonos made specially for the event, moving gracefully across a stage with lavish sets.  

 On our last day, we decided to take it easy and visit the gardens of the Imperial Palace.  Walking along the walls of the Palace, as we approached one of the gates, we espied a flash of pink – could it be what we thought it was?  Bambi screamed in glee:  Yes, it was a grove of cherry trees in full bloom! How lucky we were to catch sakura right in the city where most of the flowers had already wilted the week before and just when we had abandoned all hopes of seeing them.   There are many varieties of sakura after all — over a hundred in fact — with varying times of flowering and in some areas like Sapporo in northern Japan, they bloom as late as early May.  After taking the requisite IG and FB photos, we did as the natives did and sat under the trees — the best way to enjoy hanami.  It’s really quite an experience looking up and having all these cherry blossoms enveloping you in a warm pink embrace.  It captures everything that Japan is all about — subtle beauty, delicacy, tradition and a harmony with nature that brings absolute peace and serenity.  After this, you definitely will never ever question what the big deal over cherry blossom viewing is all about.

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