I have every intention of going downtown this week and getting a photograph of the cherry blossoms in Washington DC. I was getting set to get up early, have my gear all ready and head down with tripod in tow and getting some sunrise photos or sunset photos perhaps. Late days at work, extensive travel planning, and a car accident (my arm is hurting but everyone involved is thankfully mostly ok) sort of derailed a lot of the photo taking. But I wanted to share at least a cherry blossom photograph for this week. I didn’t want to post the same photos that I again just took last weekend as I was wondering around mid-day downtown for other reasons, so I picked this photo from a trip through Japan during the cherry blossom time. This is from Himeji Castle, one of the best known castles and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is a gorgeous castle that grows out of the stone base underneath it. During hanami (flower viewing) it is particularly gorgeous as the area around it is covered with sakura (cherry blossoms). The inside of the castle sadly is not as beautiful as the exterior of it, with much of the interior laying sadly barren.
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A beautiful image of this castle, Anwar. I visited there about twenty years ago, but did that was not in cherry blossom season. Hope the arm is better by now…
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I wonder if it changed much in those 20 years! It is definitely a different place during cherry blossom season. I hope you make it back to japan soon! The arm is doing much better now…thanks for asking.
i’ve wanted to see the cherry blossoms in japan since i was a kid. i have a feeling that i’ll have to settle for the ones in washington. your photo is gorgeous – i hope i get to see it in person someday.
sorry to hear about your accident; hope you’re feeling better.
mina´s last [type] ..sahara sunrise
There is definitely no comparison with seeing them in Japan. However I can say that DC is definitely a worthwhile place to check them out. There are several cities in the US for sure that have a good set of cherry blossoms (there were a lot in Philadelphia as well too when i lived up there). I would be curious how many cities around the world have a group of cherry trees there.
Stunning! We are anxiously waiting for the blossoms here in Korea. We are having a very cold spring, so we might be waiting a while yet. I have been to Japan several times, but have never made it to Himeji Castle. Last time it was undergoing major renovations. It’s still on my list!
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Wow, didn’t realize it was cold there right now… When are they expecting the blossoms? Too bad the castle was undergoing major renovations when you were there. If it was the outside that would be disappointing but if it’s just the inside then there really isn’t much inside there on display to see.
Anwar, that photo is so lovely! It makes me eager for spring to arrive here in Utah. Hope the arm feels better soon!
Andi at The Particular Traveler´s last [type] ..An Inadvertent Holiday in Victoria B.C., Canada
Thanks! Spring and possibly autumn too are like my favorite seasons. I have never been to Utah but I imagine spring there would be very lovely indeed.
So many blogger posting about cherry blossoms this week – they’re really in full bloom and gorgeous!
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The blossoms are fantastic. It has become my favorite part of spring. I’m so glad to have finally seen them in Washington DC as well, but definitely nothing compares to seeing them in Japan.
What a gorgeous time to visit Japan.
Your photo is like something out of a fairytale – so beautiful. 
Krista´s last [type] ..A Sunset Ferry Ride from Switzerland to Italy
I cant think of a better time to be in Japan then during the Cherry Blossoms.
Very purty!!
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Thanks Raymond!
Glad to hear you’re feeling ok!
It’s a beautiful shot – I would love to see cherry blossoms some day both in DC and in Japan! Is March generally a good time for seeing the cherry trees in bloom in DC? I’m thinking it might coincide nicely with our spring break vacation some year.
Lisa´s last [type] ..Enjoying a Spring Day in Paris’ Jardin des Tuileries
March (generally late march, but sometimes mid-march too) is generally a good time to see the blossoms here in DC. Although everything is so weather dependent, so it’s tough. This year they came earlier than expected so the peak already happened, but at least people coming this weekend will still see great blossoms. It might be quite gone by next weekend depending on the weather.
Beautiful shot – love the colours!
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Thanks! I absolutely adore cherry blossoms. It might be one of my favorite things of spring.
I’m getting my fill of cherry blossom images from other blogs this week, and I love it! I’m sad because we’re heading to DC next weekend, and we’re hearing that the famed cherry blossoms there are practically gone already from a lot of rainfall.
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Well I just returned from a morning shoot around the tidal basin. The trees around there are still generally pretty good, a few are starting to lose flowers and have green leaves at the edges. Near the Washington monument there are still several really good trees, although some have lost a lot of their flowers. That being said, with more rain expected, and the peak already passed, the flowers probably wont last much longer. Last weekend I was shocked how good the trees were and me w/o good camera equipment at the time.
A beauty of a composition and I’ll pin it. Not sure if your pin button is malfunctioning, or it’s my lousy ASDL service but, I’ll getterdun!
I will definitely have to take a look at the pin-it button. Thanks for the compliments on the photograph
Looks like an amazing place. Sorry to hear about the arm!
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It is quite an amazing place and getting to see it when the blossoms were open was a highlight. I’m hoping the arm is back to normal in a few days, not hurting as bad as it was.
I love DC’s cherry blossoms but to see them in Japan would be quite a treat! Thanks for sharing this on — like Mary said, it looks like a postcard. Great shot. Feel better soon.
InsideJourneys´s last [type] ..Hiking Jamaica’s Blue Mountain
Definitely nothing compares to seeing them in Japan. Although I will have to say it is pretty impressive here in Washington DC with the blossoms. I just got back from trying to catch some blossoms before they are soon gone.
How absolutely beautiful! It’s like a ‘Visit Japan in Spring’ postcard – love it! How lucky for you to enjoy DC’s cherry blossoms this coming weeks. Hope your arm feels better soon, Anwar.
Mary @ The World Is A Book´s last [type] ..Spring at the Los Angeles Arboretum
Thanks Mary. Yeah my arm is feeling better than it was a few days ago. Thanks for the compliment on the photo too. I love japan in the spring. Now I’m definitely loving being here in Washington DC in the spring too. I’m sure in a few weeks though it will be unbearably hot and I’ll wish I was somewhere more spring like again.