Category Archives: Photoshoot

Even Sakura Needs Time to Bloom

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Japan is famous for its beautiful Sakura in spring. However, not many know that each Sakura tree must fight a hard battle before it can bloom. I recently moved near Tama River in Tokyo and experienced it firsthand.

Many people say that the Sakura along Tama River is very beautiful. Photography is my hobby so I jotted down the forecasted bloom date which is April 1st.

Sadly, it continued to rain everyday even though Sakura can only bloom in warm weather. When April started, the weather was still cold and the Sakura trees were still withered so I had to cancel my plans to take pictures with my friend Narumi.

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For the next few days I rode my bicycle to the riverbed everyday to see how the bloom progressed. First the buds started to appear, but the petals were still shy to show their slight pinkish color. Around the trees green grass started to grow lush and other flowers bloomed, so the withered Sakura looked out of place and made the scenery unsightly.

When some of the Sakura flowers finally started to appear, rain poured again followed by strong winds the next day. I was worried that the flowers will scatter before its prime time, but even though the branches were swayed violently by the winds, the Sakura trees stayed firmly on the ground.

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In the end the wind subdued, and even though it was late by a week the Sakura bloomed magnificently. I went there with Narumi, and for me it was the most beautiful Sakura I had ever seen in my life.

Like how the Sakura blooms, everything in life needs time. Sometimes people only see the final result and don’t realize the hard struggle needed to achieve it.

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Perhaps you are sick and must fight everyday just to survive. Or perhaps you are studying hard to achieve your dreams. You might be someone dieting and going to the gym everyday to get a healthier body. Or you might be someone whose business failed and must start from zero. Whatever your battle is, don’t give up and keep on fighting. Believe that like the Sakura near my house, there will be a time when you will fully bloom.

About the Author: Agro is a software engineer with photography hobby. His works can be followed in Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About the model: Narumi Ishikawa is a university student, artist, and environmentalist.

Eri Kashima – Sanage Onsen Photoshoot

Eri Kashima at Sanage Onsen

Some time ago we had a photoshoot at Sanage Onsen (猿投温泉), Aichi with Eri Kashima. The place is famous for its hot springs, but because there are Japanese traditional gardens and quite a big lake it’s also a great place for doing portrait photoshoot.

Sanage Onsen is located at Toyota city, not so far from Nagoya. There is a free bus which provides easy access to the place.

Eri Kashima at Sanage Onsen

Eri Kashima at Sanage Onsen

When you arrive at the location, there is a big map showing the area. Don’t forget to go to the waterfall and climb a bit to reach the lake.

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Location Info

Name: Sanage Onsen

Address: 21 Umamichi-dori, Kano-cho, Toyota-shi, Aichi, Japan 470-0364

How to get there: If you’re from the Nagoya area, first go to Josui station (Meitetsu Toyota Line) or Fujigaoka Station (Higashiyama Line), whichever the nearest is. From there there is a free bus to Sanage Onsen. Just ask the station’s staff for the place of the bus stop (be sure to ask specifically for the bus stop for Sanage Onsen).

Bus departing from Josui station: 9:45, 11:45, 14:45, 16:45

Last bus going back to Josui station: 19:20

Bus departing from Fujigaoka station: 9:00, 11:00, 14:50

Last bus going back to Fujigaoka station: 18:00

Schedules might change, so check http://www.sanageonsen.jp/timetable/

Eri Kashima at Sanage Onsen