Traditionally, the Japanese have always felt a deep connection to the seasons. And though this might be to a highly idealized Four Seasons based upon cultural memories of a very specific geographical region within this diverse archipelago(the Kinki Region of the Heian Court), the strong
connection of these Four Seasons to the sense of identity of most Japanese today is undeniable.
Manifestations of this consciousness can be seen in high art as well as daily life, whether it be in a sublime tanka poem, a mundane letter to a friend or in a the kimono chosen to wear at a
TsukuBlog
A Local Perspective on Life in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
In Japan, Semi-translucent Ro-bai 蝋梅 Blossoms ( Japanese allspice) are The New Year`s First Tree-based Flowers to Bloom and Fill The Winter Air With a Welcome Fragrance
21 January, 2021
Ro-bai blooming in Tsukuba in January
By Avi Landau
Just a day earlier I had been walking through the woods, and one of my companions excitedly cried out : SO-BAI (早梅) , which in Japanese indicates plum blossoms that bloom earlier in the year than usual.
The next day, with that word, then new to me, still ringing in my ears, I arrived at the farm of a friend of mine who lives up in Hitachi Omiya ( in central Ibaraki Prefecture). As I opened the car door and was stepping out, I was enveloped in a thick, sweet fragrance.