numerous fresh leaves

Being pleased to the season full of greenery I visited Kyoto last week.

I saw many tourists from foreign countries; some seemed to enjoy walking

and some rested beneath trees which had plenty of young leaves on them.

Among the green foliage I found some red maple leaves which have just opened up. 

Later I checked the name but there are too many to identify it as the same 

species. Do you know its name?

The main purpose to visit Kyoto was to see an exhibition held in Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (京都市立美術館).

The museum is just next to a great Torii gate of one of most famous shrines in Kyoto, Heian Jingu.

The overwhelming vermilion of the gate made contrast favorably with fresh green leaves around there.

As for the exhibition we could see Vincent Van Gogh' works which were painted during his sejourns in Paris( 1886~1888). At this time Gogh, being supported by his brother, played active roles in colorful works influenced by some artists especially impressionists and in establishing his own style on perspective and also planar composition influenced by Ukiyo-e from Japonism.

It is hard to believe now that his works didn't sell except one in his life.

It is said that he painted some shooting buds represented by wheat as symbol of his inner energy, and the following tableau caught my eye like a ray of hope among his secure jobs.

image from Web site

I also walked nearby the museum and stopped by a temple called Nanzen-ji which has a great two-storied gate.

Between the pillars of the gate the greenery landscape on the temple ground is seen as a tableau.

Some red leaves of maple trees are faintly observed as well.

I carefully took a photo not to bother the girl who looked doing meditation. 

憎しみか官能かふいに燃え立ちて＜万緑叢中紅一点＞　小島ゆかり(1956~ )

I don't know whether 

it would be hatred or sensuality

which flamed up suddenly

but I know that I'm a woman

amid numerous young leaves
Yukari Kojima 

farewell to Sakura

Of Japan's 600 or so kinds of sakura or cherry blossom, around 80 percent are Somei-yoshino', hybrid plants which were interbred around end of Edo and the beginning of Meiji era (1868~).

Somei-Yoshino' (Cerasus ×yedoensis)

This kind of sakura has abundant blooms comparing wildlife species represented by Yama-zakura which blooms at the same time of shooting young leaves.

Yama-zakura (yama=mountain zakura=sakura , Cerasus jamasakura)

Information by the weather bureau  always tells about the blooming of Somei-yoshino' and its front line which goes up toward north along Japanese archipelago.
This year it was told that unexceptionally earlier bloom of sakura in some regions.

Yesterday weather forecast predicted gale-force winds and rain for the following a couple of days and it was right.

Seeing the weather through a window I remember the last viewing of cherry blossom while out for a walk in Nara Park.

I prefer some rustic flavor to stylish man made park, so I mainly walked on a field where many old cherry trees and maple ones are mingled. This field is located next to a small cozy area trimmed by many Somei-Yoshino's.

There we can see many Somei-yoshino' with pinkish white cute blossoms and also some Yama-zakura ,much older species, which  blooms a little quietly.

These are bloom of Somei-Yoshino'

This is of Yama-zakura

Some cherry trees already started to shed petals, and some deer looked as if they were eating fallen ones.

That one which looks like a rabbit is an old trunk

Although I had still much time before dusk I thought of the following tanka poem seeing the boughs above me.

誰かうしろになみだぐみつつ佇つごとし夕ぐれが桜のいろになるころ　花山　多佳子(1948~)

Behind me

someone might stand there

with moistness of eyes

as dusk became to be tinged with

hue of cherry blossoms

Takako Hanayama