Spring Has Arrived

Pink marks a change of season in Oregon.

The distinctive pink color of cherry blossoms marks a change of seasons in Oregon. I thought a visit to the Portland Japanese Garden to see the cherry trees would be apropos. I was a bit early so the trees weren’t yet in bloom, however, an exhibition of Ishimoto Yasuhiro’s photography of the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto was well worth the visit.

The exhibit marks the centennial anniversary of Ishimoto’s birth. In the select images, the artist explores the intricate and interconnected relationship between architecture, landscape, and art in Japanese aesthetics and culture.

The Nature Path is an area of the garden that I discovered for the first time during my visit. The walkways are created by stones that are carefully placed by hand and which wander gently through the trees. There are benches along the way if someone wants to take a rest or meditate. It is really a treat for all of the senses.

It’s interesting to visit the same places in the garden during different seasons. I had visited this spot in the fall to photograph the spectacular colors of the maple leaves. However today the maple trees appeared so exposed, and the moss itself accentuated the twisted shapes.

There is always something new to discover in the Portland Japanese Garden. I hope these images are a brief reminder of the joy that the cycle of seasons provides.

The garden provides an homage to Japan’s traditional philosophies around the interconnected worlds of nature, art and humanity.

Sweet spring shower…

enough to wet

the tiny shells

on this little beach.

- Buson, Cherry Blossoms, Japanese Haiku Series III