A Single Cherry Tree on Mt. Yaedake (Photo)

On the way home from the Okinawa International Orchid Show I visited Mt. Yaedake.

The cherry trees are starting to sprout their green leaves,

That means soon, all the sakura  (桜) or, cherry blossoms, will be gone.

Rather than shoot photos of the road winding up the mountainside, I picked this single tree.

The bright pink of the flowers makes a nice contrast with the surrounding background.

There are still a few places you can go, if your into Cherry Blossom chasing.

Just check the Okinawa Tourist Information Website

The Sakura (桜) Chase Is On in Okinawa Japan !

Cherry Blossom or, Sakura (桜) Season progresses from north to south in Okinawa.

Along with all the travelers clicking cameras, come the Mejiro.

That's another name for the bird known as Japanese White Eye.

There aren't enough hours in the day or, days in the week for me to catch all the festivals.

Did you know, Cherry Blossom Viewing is a national pastime throughout Japan ?

Some nature lovers chase the sakura from the Ryukyu Islands, all the way through Hokkaido !


RELATED POST: Breaking News Cherry Blossoms (桜) Blooming !

Sakura (桜) Matsuri Grand Opening at Nakijin (Photos)

UNESCO Nakijin Castle January 2013

 

The Cherry Blossom Season started today at Nakijin Castle in Okinawa, Japan.

Here are photos taken at the Grand Opening Ceremonies.

 The action all took place outside the castle walls.

Shortly before sunset this PR lady welcomed everyone and strummed her sanshin.

As daylight faded away, the castle walls were lighted.

These young ladies danced on the stage, waving cherry blossom branches.

Out came the royalty.  I'm guessing they were the king and queen.

Sneaking over to shoot the sakura bearing girls I captured this photo.

It's a lot easier to get the girls to hold still when someone else has them posed for you.

A big attraction was this woman painting Kanji characters with a brush and can of paint.

Everybody crowded around to watch and take pictures.

This isn't something you see every day, around here.

Moving around as quick as I could, I got back to the king and queen.

Then, backed away from the scene, to do some castle wall shots.

Nakijin Castle looks like somebody painted the rocks when those lights shine on it at night.

 Everything they did, outside the castle walls was free.

To go inside the place, you have to buy a ticket.

As soon as the sakura are in full bloom, I'll go inside and take some photos for you.

More about Unesco Nakijin-jo

Sakura (桜) Report: Mt. Yaedake in Photos

Have a Look at the Cherry Blossoms

 

Up on Mt. Yaedake in Okinawa, Japan the sakura are popping-out all over the place.

We drove up to the top of the mountain and worked our way back down.

Consider this a photographic report from a guy who knows, where the flip-flops meet the road.

Everywhere I walked, was flip-flop friendly.  Socks are recommended. It's cold up there.

Traffic, on the road going up the mountain wasn't bad at all.

Sometimes, I could stand in the middle of the street and compose a photo.

There were blue skies when this shot was taken from above.

It was sunny but, a bit chilly with the mountain breeze.  

Walking down the hill I met a few other travelers with cameras.

And, rain started coming down.

Don't let that dampen your spirits.  The weather can change, every five minutes.

In some spots, the cherry blossoms are sparse.

When you go around the next bend, you might find a scene like this.

It's almost impossible to get lost because they have signs in English and Japanese.

When too many cars and motorcycles come up the mountain, I just point the camera higher.

 This weekend is probably a good time to start cherry blossom chasing.

But, I'm guessing it will be another week or, two before everything is in full bloom.

 If you plan on going up Mt. Yaedake to take photos don't forget lens tissues.

A few drops of rain on your camera lens can ruin a great picture.

Every once in awhile, I'll give some more sakura (桜) reports from other locations.

Just don't expect to see me doing cherry blossom photos in northern Japan.

Hot weather suits me better. Way down here in Okinawa, I'm freezing !

Visit my website for today's Feature Photo

Cherry Blossom (桜) Photos: The Okinawa Challenge

The Weather Doesn't Always Cooperate

 

Today we went up north in Okinawa to check out the sakura for our followers.

Folks planning their weekends like to know how the cherry blossoms are coming along.

There was scarce sunshine, few blossoms and plenty of cold wind.  It even rained a bit.

After checking the situation at UNESCO Nakijin Castle we did some off the beaten path stuff.

Nakijin-jo is having their Sakura Matsuri grand-opening this weekend.  I'd wait.

Ya'll know the Map It Okinawa dude and the crazy places he finds, right ?

He was out in the middle of nowhere, going up a river, to see where it went.  I waited.

That's when the rain started.

It occurred  to me, I hadn't shot a cherry blossom, all day.

That's when I got the idea to shoot some sakura, under challenging conditions.

These few sprigs of cherry blossoms were next to the shelter, I'd be hiding in.

So, I played around with spot focusing on some of them.

And I moved around to give the scene some background, other than grey skies.

This technique can be used anywhere.

It's a good idea, to get your camera off AUTO Mode and play with aperture settings.

Decide if you want the background blurred or, sharpened.

This photo was taken with on-camera flash.

Fooling around with shutter speeds and flash settings gives all sorts of results.

There's no way, I'm going chasing sakura without coming home with some flower photos.

 This cherry blossom photo turned out to be one of my favorite shots of the day.

There's something about a sakura on a rainy day, that I can't explain.

One photo (taken with flash) like this, in the rain, has received over 12,000 views on this blog.

When the weather takes a nasty turn or, the flowers aren't in full bloom, take the challenge !

RELATED POSTS: 

See Cherry Blossoms (桜) in Winter 

Cherryblossom (桜) Festival Okinawa, Japan (Photo Essay)

2012 Nago Cherry Blossom Festival A 12 Photo Essay

NOTE: The best sources, tell me Mt Yadake is at about 50% bloom.

Visit Okinawa2Go! Project for daily updates on Facebook.

More tips and tricks for your camera travels in PHOTO TIPS

Bird Talk in the Sakura (桜) Photo Essay

Japanese White Eyes in Cherry Blossoms

 

On Mt. Yaedake in Okinawa, Japan the Sakura  (桜) or, Cherry Blossoms are blooming.

Japanese White Eye (birds called Mejiro) are all over the place.

It's fun trying to imagine what they tweet about up in those cherry trees.

Just guessing, OK ?

That guy with the beard keeps pointing his camera this way.

What to you suppose he's up to ?

He's just trying to get a good photo, of us, to print and frame.

If we look towards the sun, he will probably take one last shot and go away.

It's a trick grandpa taught me a long time ago.

People who like birds won't harm you. 

Never forget what grandpa said.

"People who don't like birds should go to HELL !"

Breaking News: Cherry Blossoms (桜) Blooming !

OkiNinjaKitty Spots Them First

 

This is big news and we're all glad to hear it because that means we've had our coldest day.

Of course, that's if you believe local legends.

This photo was dragged-up out of my files.  It's from a previous year.

The little bird is Japanese White Eye.

They are fairly jittery birds and won't give your camera a chance to focus, before they move-on.

But, during Cherry Blossom Season, I swear, they get drunk, or something.

It's a whole lot easier to get great shots of them when they are around Cherry Blossoms.

Sometimes, they actually pose for you.

The first photos I've seen (this season) of the Sakura (桜) Blossoms on Mount Yadake are here:

On OkiNinjaKitty's Facebook Page

 Go on over and congratulate her and Like her, if you have time.

If you happen to be a real Cherry Blossom fanatic, I have some links for you.

Real serious flower fans follow the blossoms all the way up to Hokkaido !

Visit my website for more photos of the Ryukyu Islands

Photo Essay: See Cherry Blossoms (桜) in Winter

Japan's Blossoms Open First on Okinawa

The cherry trees on the island of Okinawa begin blooming in January each year. 

The pink blossoms brighten up the hillsides through the month of February.

The flowers hang like bells from the branches, unlike those of northern regions in Japan, which

 open facing the sky. Okinawa'a cherry trees come from Taiwan.

Scientists may agree, or not, local legend says, the coldest day of winter activates the flower buds.

Having witnessed decades of Sakura (桜), or Cherry Blossom Seasons, I believe legendary reasoning. 

 Though it is winter, once the hills come alive with the flowers, the weather gets warmer.

 

Cherry Blossom Festivals Begin

Flower lovers, from around the globe, and especially Japan, stay tuned to the Sakura Forecast.

Planning travel can be tricky. 

Mother Nature orchestrates the viewing of such delicate things as flowers.

The first Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) usually occurs on Mt.Yaedake in northern

 Okinawa.  Normally, it is held around mid-January and lasts for two weeks.

The next festival is held on Nago Mountain, over the course of a weekend, late January.

 Both events are popular with families and, there are no entrance fees. 

Food, beverage and game booths, as well as, live entertainment are available. 

Sturdy walking shoes, jackets, cameras and an umbrella are recommended. 

Visitors come by the thousands.

These, first two, festivals are on mountains and can give the legs a good workout.

 It is best to go at a leisurely pace and enjoy the scenery. 

The routes are lighted, with paper lanterns. 

 Often, it is worth the wait, to stay until after the crowds thin out, at night. 

You can catch some dramatic photos and avoid sitting in traffic jams when leaving.

UNESCO Nakijin-jo (gusuku) Castle

Late January, through early February, the Nakijin-gusuku Sakura Matsuri takes place. 

In recent years, the castle has been lighted, at night, during Cherry Blossom Season.

 A sight to see during daylight, it turns into a magical dreamland when the lights shine on the

 blossoms, trees, and stone walls of the fortress during darkness. 

It is imperative, to check the links provided for dates and closing times, as they may vary from

 year to year.

 The terrain at Nakijin would be less foot and stroller-friendly than previously mentioned festivals.

 A flashlight might be handy for those wandering off the stone stairs, or pathways, to take photos.

More Sakura Matsuri

Moving farther south on Okinawa, there are more festivals as the season progresses.

 The Town of Yaese, Naha City, and Kumejima Island, all have Cherry Blossom Festivals.

 

Can't Get Away During Winter?

 

The Japan Meteorological Agency has something for you. 

They post cherry blossom opening dates and, in full bloom dates, for all of Japan.

 Sakura Season (Cherry Blossom Season) lasts from March through May, 

as the blossoms spread from the southern tip of mainland Japan, to the northernmost regions.

 Don't miss out on one of the beauties of Japan: The Sakura Matsuri.

See more photos from Cherry Blossom Season in Festivals

2012 Nago Cherry Blossom Festival A 12 Photo Essay

Here it is, fresh off the Nago Mountain from today's visit to the 2012

Nago Cherry Blossom Festival.

These 12 photos should give you an idea what the Sakura (桜) are looking like this weekend.

This year happens to Nago City's 50th Cherry Blossom Festival.

Locally, it's called's Sakura Matsuri.

Climbing up, I have no idea how many stairs, I stopped plenty of times to take pictures and it's sort of a challenge  shooting photos without any people in them.

But, I really don't mind waiting for the right split second to get the shots I want.

That gives my legs a chance to rest.  Mountain climbing just isn't my favorite sport.

Everybody wants their picture taken with the Sakura flowers.

Those pink blossoms really stand out from the background.

We had some great weather today.  It felt almost like summertime.

This scene was shot at what I'm guessing is the halfway point.

After walking this far, I decided I had more important stuff to do.

So, I entertained everyone getting ready to take pictures of these cherry blossoms in front of stone lanterns.  

I made them wait until I cleaned the spiderwebs off the plants.

Then, I took a little detour off to the left to shoot this bridge.

Last year it was cloudy and raining at the Nago Sakura Matsuri.

So, I figured this photo was more important than climbing a bunch of stairs.

Coming back down the mountain I shot some more photos with downtown Nago in the background and cherry blossoms up front.

This little Japanese White Eye bird (Mejiro) showed up and I had a devil of a time getting focus on him.  They move around pretty fast.  I think when the trees are all in full bloom those birds get drunk, or something from sniffing the sakura.  I'll go back again next week  and get some better Mejiro shots with Big Bertha, my Sigma 50-500MM LENS.

The 2012 Nago Cherry Blossom was a blast for me but, I wish I'd have read the

 OKINAWA LOCAL TOUR GUIDE'S BLOG before I climbed that mountain.

I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE FREE SHUTTLE BUS THAT DRIVES YOU UP THERE !