If there’s ever a time to be humbled at the majesty of Mother Nature, its during the annual cherry blossom season. This ephemeral phenomenon sweeps through Japan like magic sometime between March and May as winter gives way to spring. It starts at the southern tip of Okinawa and advances northwards up the country to Hokkaido in a frontline of pale pink petals. It only lasts a week or two, but the entire nation takes time to appreciate and celebrate this special season. In 1912, the mayor of Tokyo gifted 3,000 cherry trees to the city of Washington DC, so the nation’s capital also experiences the bliss of these blossoms as they herald in the spring. If only you had a scratch-and-sniff monitor or some kind of smellivision to accompany these images, as the only thing prettier than the vision of this glorious foliage is its sweet, delicate fragrance. Take a look at the world through the rose colored glasses of cherry blossom season.
1. Jefferson Memorial Bathed in Pink
2. Tidal Basin in Full Bloom
3. The Blossoms Only Last a Week or Two
4. You Might Not Want to Go Inside the Smithsonian When It’s This Gorgeous Outside
5. It Smells as Pretty as it Looks
6. The Petals Look Like Pink Snow
7. It Almost Makes You Forget About the Ugliness Going on in the Capitol
8. If Only this Burst of Color Could Last Longer
9. It’s Beyond Breathtaking
10. The Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival Draws Visitors From All Over the World
11. In Japan, People Celebrate the Season with Hanami Picnics Under the Sakura
12. Japanese News Tracks the Cherry Blossoms’ Progress as they Bloom from South to North
13. It’s Easy to See How this Ephemeral Phenomenon Inspired Artist and Poets Throughout the Centuries
14. Pictures Don’t Do the Beauty of the Blossoms Justice
15. Its Fleeting Nature Gives it a Bittersweet Quality
16. Even Tokyo’s Meguro Canal Transforms During the Sakura Season
17. Mother Nature at her Best
