Both of the places have all kinds of different trees located on the premises. One is lit up at night during autumn and the other isn’t…although it should be. One has a tall pagoda and a veranda overlooking Kyoto. The other has a small ravine filled with maples and a bridge where people can walk above them and look down into the ravine of maples. Do you know what places I’m referring to yet?

The first one is Kiyomizudera and the other is Tofukuji. Go to either one of these places during autumn and you’ll be joined by half of Japan. They are so popular that during momiji season, you will most likely be viewing the maples shoulder to shoulder with someone else you don’t know…on both sides of you.

Kiyomizudera is the most popular of the two and larger. There are tons of maple trees around the temple grounds along the backside of the temple, in front to the left, if you are looking back at Kyoto Tower, and further to the left up along the mountain. If you really want to see it in its full-on beauty, visit the temple at night when the spotlight is shining brightly in the sky like a Batman beacon. Stand along the little pond to the left, again if you are facing Kyoto Tower, and look back at the temple and beacon for a great reflection shot of the temple, beacon and trees. See the photo pictured in this article for reference to what I’m talking about.

Tofukuji on the other hand is smaller in scale, but nonetheless beautiful. It may even be more beautiful depending on what you like. The bridge overlooking the ravine of colorful red maples and the small grove of yellow maples just before the ravine are amazing. If you happen to go on a partly cloudy day, you will surely know what I’m talking about. The contrast in colors against a blue and white sky make for picturesque photos; ones you will never forget. But unfortunately for anyone who loves this place, it is not lit up at night even though the website created by those who run this temple say it is. They close down the temple just before dark in autumn. So get there early enough to see it all before they kick you out. It’s a breathtaking maple viewing place! See the photo in this article.

Momiji viewing involves Japanese maples. And they don’t just grow everywhere. It takes a little planning to find places with many maple trees on the grounds. Some local parks scattered around Kyoto have them. Some shrines and temples have them. But not all places have Japanese maples.

So here are some of the best places around the Kyoto area to see Japanese maple trees in the splendor:

• Kiyomizudera
• Kinkakuji
• Fushimiinari
• Nagaoka Tenmangu
• Komyoji
• Arashiyama
• Tofukuji
• Nanzenji
• Takaragaike
• Kibune

Many Chinese come to Japan on vacation. Yet, you don’t hear of any Japanese attacking the Chinese visitors because of their stance on issues. They come, they travel and do their sightseeing around Japan and then go back to China unharmed or ridiculed.

Of course, most people around the world realize that the media makes little issues out to be bigger than they really are. Japanese living and working in China are getting treated terribly and don’t deserve any of it.

Schools in Osaka are letting children out early today, while schools in Kyoto are still in session.

A warning over the loud speaker system here in Kyoto just came on a few minutes ago warning people that there will be heavy rain and high winds later on around 7pm as the typhoon begins to hit Kyoto.

Right now, current conditions in Kyoto are calm with little to no wind. It’s kinda like the calm before the storm.

From this point on, blossoms will begin dropping their petals.

Saw some cherry blossoms today in Hirakata shedding. Petals were dropping off and blowing in the wind creating the snow effect that many people long to see. The ground was a beautiful mix of brown and whitish pink.

The next stage of cherry blossoms will add more color as the green leaves begin to spring forth. This point of hanami is my favorite. The bright and dark contrasting colors make for excellent photos.

With the warm weather we had during the daytime yesterday and today, the blossoms should open a little faster Monday.

Give the sakura cherry blossoms a few more days and they will be fully blossomed. Cherry blossoms should be 100% by Thursday. By Saturday, the flowers will be falling off creating the beautiful snowing effect.

On my way back to Kyoto, I stopped along the way checking cherry blossoms.

Cherry blossoms in Osaka seem to be opening a bit faster than Kyoto. It didn’t matter if trees were out in the open or hidden behind a building. Trees in the Minoh area of Osaka have a lot more blossoms opened than trees in southern Kyoto.

I would estimate Osaka cherry blossom trees are about 20% open as of today. Kyoto cherry blossom trees are about 5% or less. However, most of the buds on trees in Kyoto are already pink and look like they are all about to pop open in the next day or two.

Expect blooms to be opened more along the 40% level on Saturday in Kyoto. If you want to view trees with more blossoms opened this weekend, Osaka would be the better city to visit.

Heading to Nara to check the cherry blossoms this afternoon! Will report on Nara blossoms later tonight.

One Saturday during hanami, it rained all night Friday then stopped around 8:30am. The sun gradually came out and warmed up enough we could take our jackets off and play in short-sleeved shirts. But that all changed around 1pm. From that point, the air cooled and the clouds began coming in. Soon it began to rain; only a short shower. Then it got sunny again and warmed up. Mind you, it wasn’t as warm as it was earlier in the day. Then clouds came in again and the air cooled. This time, it got chilly. The wind also picked up. Soon it began to rain. But then something surprising happened. It began to hail. Shortly after that, would you believe, it got sunny again!

At this time, it was about 3pm. So the sun was starting to get lower on the horizon. Many people doing their cherry blossom viewing began to go home around 1pm when the first rain came. Those who stayed for the second heavier shower soon began leaving for home in round 2. But then came round 3.

The third wave of clouds brought even colder air and this time ice and snow. It first started sleeting and then snowed. At this point, we finally decided to pack up because it didn’t look like it would clear up this time around.

Thirty minutes later, as we were walking across the bridge to the station, the sun came out again. But then came round 4! By that time, many of us were either in our cars or on the train back home!

Weekend weather during spring is not always like this, but it is unpredictable most on Saturday for some reason. Sundays are a little less dramatic.

As for this weekend, the current forecast is saying sunny Friday night, cloudy Saturday morning.

It’s Monday, April 2nd and April Fool’s Day is over. So no fooling around when I say the cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom.

Yesterday, April 1st, was a rather warm day in the afternoon. Tonight will be cool and tomorrow even warmer than today. So sakura, cherry blossoms, should begin to open a bit faster from tomorrow.

Look to see cherry blossoms at about 40 to 50% opened by this weekend in the Kyoto area of Japan.

Rain began to fall yesterday afternoon and continued throughout most of the day today tapering off around 2pm. Temperatures at that time were warm, around 12 degrees Celsius. Shortly thereafter, the winds began to pick up and strong cold air started blowing in.

Tonight, temperatures will be down near freezing as well as tomorrow night. But this shouldn’t deter the already budding cherry blossoms. It might confuse us, but there should be some cherry blossoms bloomed on trees around the Kansai region by this coming weekend.

Trees won’t be mankai, fully-bloomed, but anyone venturing out to parks, shrines or any other place where cherry blossoms are growing will have a good time viewing the beginning of spring Japanese style.

I will make another cherry blossom assessment later at the beginning of this next week starting Monday.