Although I didn’t go far away for hanami (cherry blossom viewing) this spring, I found some beautiful cherry trees in my neighborhood.

When I visited the nearby shrine, the cherry blossoms were just in full bloom.

On another day, when I was walking through an alley, I saw freshly bloomed cherry blossoms, too.

This is my favorite hanami spot.

Walking under the cherry trees was just relaxing. Strolling along the brook, I appreciated the piece and quiet and the picturesque scenery.

On a sunny day, my family and I went to a neighborhood, which is famous for its rows of cherry trees. It is indeed spectacular when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. However, I also like petals gently fluttering down in the breeze.

We like to visit this place at this time every year. However, since my husband had been absent during spring over the last two years, we came here together for the first time in three years. Everything was the same except that some houses had been replaced with new ones. We viewed the beautiful cherry blossoms and enjoyed the peace and quiet as we had done before.

Tiffany enjoyed walking on the petal carpet. It was a calm, peaceful day.

I went to the park and captured a picturesque moment after sunset.

My family went to Makuhari Beach. We hung out on the beach, picking up seashells. It was very quiet. I enjoyed listening to the sound of waves, smelling the sea, and feeling the sea breeze.

We were looking for beautiful seashells, when we noticed there was a wooden soup bowl floating on the sea! I thought, “Oh dear!” We ran toward it and checked it for a tiny boy (one-inch boy) in it, but he was not there.

Do you know the Japanese folktale of a one-inch boy? In the story, the tiny boy wanted to be a samurai warrior and headed for Kyoto. He carried a sawing needle as a sword, rode on a soup bowl as a boat, and used a chopstick as a paddle. He made it to Kyoto and fought with an ogre. Finally, he got married to a princess. (For more details, please read the book!)