Japanese Cornel Dogwood (Cornus Officinalis) サンシュユ（山茱萸）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The Japanese cornel (Cornus officinalis), native to China and Korea, can also be found across Japan. The tree produces clusters of bright yellow flowers from March to April, followed by red berries from October to November.

The bright yellow of Japanese cornel flowers is called a "vitamin color" in Japan because it's said to energize people—something I definitely believe is true. In spring, many people stop to admire the pretty blossoms and talk about the joy of the season. Surprisingly and sadly, though, most don't actually know what the tree is called. The Japanese cornel is one of the most underrated trees because it blooms at almost the same time as cherry and Japanese apricot blossoms.

2026/3/11

Hamilton's Spindletree (Euonymus Hamiltonianus) マユミ（檀）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Some plants bring you happiness throughout the year and Hamilton's spindletree (Euonymus hamiltonianus) is one of them. Native to East Asia, the plant can be found across Japan. It produces tiny, cream flowers from May to June and fruits in autumn. The fruits are four-lobed and green at first, later turning pale pink and cracking open to show seeds with red arils.

One great thing about photographing plants is that it makes people more talkative. When I was photographing Hamilton's spindle tree fruit this past September, two women approached me to ask what they were. I told them they were the fruits of a Hamilton's spindle tree, but the women insisted they were buds about to flower, not fruit. It was fun chatting with strangers about the little things.

2026/4/24

Hie Shrine 赤坂日枝神社

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Hie Shrine in Akasaka, Tokyo. Although the tunnel of vermilion torii gates is much shorter than the ones at Fushimi Inari Taisha, it is still a wonderful experience to walk through.😉

Sanno torii gate 山王鳥居

Red & White Prunus Mume (Japanese Apricot) 紅白梅

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Look at the striking contrast between the red and white Japanese apricot flowers and the blue sky! I saw these Japanese plum blossoms near Kanda Myojin Shrine. A coffee shop at the entrance of the shrine was selling hot amazake, a traditional sweet, non-alcoholic drink made from fermented rice.

 
If you ever have the chance to visit Japan, the Ochanomizu area—home to Kanda Myojin Shrine and Yushima Seido—is definitely recommended. Yushima Seido is just a two-minute walk from Kanda Myojin, and if you time your visit for January or February, you can enjoy red and pink Japanese camellias there, too.

2021/2/1

Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba) イチョウ（銀杏）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is native to China but can now be found across Japan. The tree, a gymnosperm plant, has male and female trees. The male trees have catkin like male flowers from April to May, which produce pollen, while the female trees have female flowers also from April to May and fruits from September to November. 

2024/11/30

2025/11/1

Kawazu Cherry (Cerasus x Kanzakura 'Kawazu-Zakura') カワヅサクラ（河津桜）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The Kawazu cherry is a crossbreed of the Oshima cherry (Prunus speciosa) and the Taiwan cherry (Prunus campanulata), and was named in 1972 after the town of Kawazu in Shizuoka Prefecture (Source: Kawazu town tourist association). Kawazu cherry trees bloom from early February to March, slightly earlier than other cherry trees. The Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival is held in the town every February.

If you're interested in learning about other types of cherry blossoms, check out my other post, 'List of Cherry Blossoms'!

2026/2/28

Oshima Cherry Blossoms (Prunus Speciosa) 大島桜（オオシマザクラ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

There are various types of cherry blossoms, and while the Somei Yoshino is considered the king, Oshima cherry blossoms (Prunus speciosa) are just as beautiful—if not even more gorgeous.

Unlike Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms, which are pinkish white, Oshima cherry blossoms start out whitish pink and then turn baby pink. Another difference is that Oshima cherry trees produce blossoms and leaves at the same time, whereas Somei Yoshino trees bloom first and put out leaves only after the blossoms fall.

If you're interested in learning about other types of cherry blossoms, check out my other post, 'List of Cherry Blossoms'!

2025/3/27

Maple Leaves in Autumn もみじの紅葉

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Some leaves are still green but that makes the perfect color gradients from green to yellow, orange and red. Autumn leaves are beautiful but more beautiful against the blue sky.  

2024/12/14

2024/12/27

2024/12/27

Tokyo Skytree against Sky at Night 夜の東京スカイツリー

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I took this photo to keep a memory of such a beautiful view. The night view included various colors. 

Tokyo Skytree against sky at night　夜の東京スカイツリー

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles Speciosa) ボケ（木瓜）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It snowed heavily in Tokyo last weekend, so I didn't go out. Then yesterday, while taking an early morning walk, I found flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) starting to produce buds. The temperature was 2°C, still low for Tokyo, but the bright red buds made me feel a little warm. 

Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa)　ボケ（木瓜）

The Moon in the Blue Sky 月と青空

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It was around 7 a.m. I looked up in the sky and saw the Moon. The air is cold and dry. It's a typical Japanese winter day.  

The Moon in the sky　月と青空

Sunset 夕焼け

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I'm an early bird, so I see the sunrise almost everyday but rarely see such a beautiful sunset. I was just standing there smiling. 

Sunset　夕焼け

Venus and Crescent Moon 月と金星

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Can you see them? If not, look at the second photo. They are the crescent moon and bright Venus.

Venus and the crescent moon

Autumn Leaves and Blue Sky 紅葉と青空

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I went somewhere and found them. It was a very sunny day. These autumn leaves were so red against the background of the blue sky.   

A Reflection of The Tokyo Tower 東京タワー

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a reflection of The Tokyo Tower on a nearby building. The tower itself is beautiful at night (unlike the tower during the day), but I found its reflection more beautiful. Which do you like better? 

The Tokyo Tower　東京タワー

A Rainbow View from Nigatsudo, Todaiji Temple 東大寺二月堂から見た虹

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is the view from the balcony of Nigatsudo (the February Hall) at Todaiji Temple in Nara. You can also see Nara City in the distance. That day, I woke up around 4 a.m. (as usual) and decided to walk to the temple to see the sunrise. Unfortunately, the sunrise wasn't visible from there, but instead, I saw this rainbow🌈!

If you ever have the chance to visit Nara, I highly recommend visiting the temple in the early morning. You may even have this view (and the Great South Gate) all to yourself.

A rainbow from the February Hall of Todaiji temple　二月堂から見た虹

Kofukuji Temple and Sarusawa Pond 興福寺と猿沢池

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are photos of Sarusawa Pond and Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara Prefecture, Japan, at sunrise (1st photo) and sunset (2nd photo). The five-story pagoda (last photo) of the temple is currently undergoing large-scale repairs, so I had given up on seeing it. However, I was able to see the pagoda in a nearly perfect form (although the first story was covered by a fence).

Kofuku-ji Temple is one of Japan’s oldest and most famous Buddhist temples, with a history of more than 1,300 years. I definitely recommend visiting the temple, especially to see the pagoda, which the temple once auctioned off for just 25 yen at the time—the equivalent of about 100,000 yen ($930 USD) today! 😲 If you're interested in why the temple did such a crazy thing, read this post!

Sarusawa pond at sunrise 日の出の猿沢池

Yuki Tsuri - Japanese Way to Protect Trees from Snow 雪吊り（ゆきつり）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These cone shaped things are "yuki tsuri" at the Hama Rikyu Garden. Yuki tsuri is a Japanese technique to protect trees from heavy snow with straw ropes that are attached to the ends of the tree's longer branches. The technique is commonly seen in the Hokuriku region where it heavily snows, such as Kanazawa city, while in Tokyo where it rarely snows, yuki tsuri functions more as a seasonal decoration. The yuki tsuri, the blue sky and the skyscrapers created a surreal contrast. 

The Hama Rikyu Garden, about 62 acres, was built by Tsunashige Tokugawa in 1654 on reclaimed land from Tokyo Bay. The garden was transferred to the Imperial Household Agency in 1870, then to Tokyo in 1945 and opened as a public garden in the following year. You can always enjoy some flowers/plants from cherry blossoms to autumn foliage in the garden.

Yuki tsuri to protect trees from snow 雪吊り

Tokyo Skytree & Yakatabune Boat 東京夜景

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are the views I saw from the Tsukuda Ohashi Bridge in Tokyo on November 6. I was on my way back home from one of my favorite restaurants in Central Tokyo. The restaurant offers soba, i.e., Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour, and it had been a year since I had last gone there.

On September 30, Tokyo lifted the state of emergency and has seen a decrease in Covid-19 cases since then, and that's why I decided to go to that restaurant for the first time in the last year. The dinner was delicious and the Sumidagawa River (1st photo), Tokyo Skytree and the Chuo Ohashi Bridge (both 2nd photo) were all beautiful but I couldn't help but feel sad because I saw only one yakatabune boat (1st photo). The boat cruise was popular before the pandemic with many boats travelling upward and downward on the river, but the business has been severely hit since January 2020 when Covid-19 clusters were found among cruise passengers.

Japan has very few Covid-19 cases these days. Some say that that's because over 70% of people have been fully vaccinated and/or people wear face masks, or even mention the possibility of "apoptosis (i.e., a form of programmed death)" in coronavirus-infected cells. Vaccination and masks should contribute to decreasing coronavirus patients, but being too optimistic, i.e., believing in the programmed cell death despite still rising infections outside of Japan, is very stupid and dangerous.

A yakatabune boat on Sumidagawa River from Tsukuda Ohashi Bridge
隅田川を行く屋形船（佃大橋から）

Chuo Ohashi Bridge and Tokyo Skytree side by side 中央大橋とスカイツリー

Parliamentary Museum Has Azalea and Cherry 憲政記念館のツツジと桜

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I saw people coming out of a building across the street near the National Diet Building. I also saw trees with white flowers and green leaves inside the premises. Naturally I got closer to it, finding that that is the Parliamentary Museum.    

Miniature Japanese national diet building 国会議事堂ミニチュア