Osaka Castle Flower Viewing

  Osaka, Japan
Saturday, April 14, 2007

                                                  More Hanami! 

 
When the weather is beautiful there is nothing better to do than get out and enjoy it.  Chinatsu (a friend from the YFU exchange camp) and I went to enjoy Hanami at Osakajokoen (the park in front of the Osaka castle) this weekend.
 









We laid out our tarps and had a feast of fruit, veggies, chips, crackers, sushi, "and so on."  (Sorry I couldn't help myself, the Japanese love to use this phrase.)  It was absolutely gorgeous!  Later in the afternoon another friend of Chinatsu's came by and the three of us hiked up to the castle and explored the castle grounds.  
 
It's a very pretty area and reminds me a lot of the Meiji-jingu in Tokyo.  Both, Osakajo and the Meiji Shrine, are located amidst busy cities, but once inside their grounds they offer a quiet escape to the hustle and bustle of the city.  The castle grounds were beautiful this time of year with so many of the trees and flowers in bloom.  The sakura petals covered the grounds, the full flowers of the apricot trees offered luscious blooms in the background, azaleas lined the streets, and tulips and daffodils sprouted up sporadically.  It was a truly gorgeous site.  We walked up to the castle as the sun was beginning to set and enjoyed the view of the city and the surrounding parks with the sun going down. 
 
I'm soooooo happy it's spring!