Springtime in Japan is a glorious thing to behold, and something I will dearly miss. The girls and I decided to head to the nearby Shiofune Kannon Azalea Festival on one beautiful spring day last month.
As a desert dweller, I was not really even aware of azalea bushes before moving to Japan. Eleven months out of the year they are basic and boring, but in May they become amazing bursts of color! (The bush below is in our front yard.)
The Shiofune Kannon Temple is famous around Tokyo for their Azalea Festival, and after seeing the pictures you can probably figure out why.
They had thousands of bushes of various colors, which made for a pretty awesome sight!
We walked all of the trails,
and sat by the koi pond.
Azalea’s are beautiful up close, as well.
Buddha greeted us at the top of the hill.
There were spectacular views from the top, as well.
I just can’t get enough of the beauty of a Japanese garden. I’ll miss the gardens terribly when we move.
We always love seeing the students, too. Kawaii!!
Ahhh, such beauty!
I’ll also miss cherry blossom season terribly! We weren’t able to make it into Tokyo this year (check out last years Tokyo sakura here), but there are plenty of blossoms right on our street.
It is very common to see families run out between cars to capture the perfect shot. Ella was insistent upon wearing her yukata for this picture, She’s always very festive!
Oh how I love driving around under this sea of pink!
I can’t help but be in awe of our amazing Creator when I see these pink trees every year. Such beauty!
And just like that, the magic is over until next year.
Oh springtime in Japan, I will miss you so!
The azaleas are stunning!! Do they smell too? Great pictures! At least you are going to another stunningly beautiful place!
Such beauty!!