In April 2012 I went to Yoshinoyama in search of the famous cherry blossoms. It was the tail-end of the sakura season.

I took the cable car up the mountain and then walked from the cable car station uphill. In the short period of time it took me to reach Kuromon gate, I had decided that this was not for me. Yes, I saw that the sakura blossoms were still there, but the masses of people just put me off.

Although I came to see the sakura blossoms just for one day, I managed to walk all the way from the Niomon gate of Kimpusen-ji temple to Kimpu-jinja shrine. This is a constant uphill walk. People everywhere!

After all, I did enjoy the view of of the big wooden hall of Kimpusen-ji in the distance and the mountain slopes covered in pink from the sakura blossoms in the foreground. I also enjoyed the view of Mount Katsuragi and Mount Kongo from near Kimpu-jinja shrine.

At the time I did not know yet that I would be coming to Yoshinoyama often and in all seasons some years later…