Springtime in Japan

Cape Zanpa Lighthouse

Spring may be my favorite season on Okinawa. The sky is sunny, and it's warm with a nice breeze. We've had some thunder showers at night, but by morning, the rain has cleared and only fresh puddles and the sound of tires swishing through them remain. The beautiful weather has allowed us to enjoy some of the scenic spots on the island in the past few weeks. Easter weekend, we joined the Snyders on an excursion to Cape Zanpa on the Yomitan peninsula and watched the waves of the East China Sea crash along the rocky shoreline from both the ground and the top of the lighthouse. Last week, we showed Anna around the island and admired the vibrancy of the blooming flowers and the lush green foliage growing almost every place we turned.

Now, we are preparing to head to Kyoto to participate in one of the Japanese's favorite spring pastimes, viewing cherry blossoms. We fly to Tokyo tomorrow, and after a couple hours on the famous bullet train (and hopefully a glimpse of Mt. Fuji) we will arrive in Kyoto, former capital of Japan and home to important historic and cultural sights as well as some of the most beautiful places to view the blossoms in the country. I'll be posting pictures and stories when we return next week. In the meantime, I hope springtime has touched your part of the world and that you are able to enjoy it sometime this week. Have a great weekend!