“Mecha ii keshiki desu ne! (‘It’s a really nice view, isn’t it?’),” read the Line message from Yoshi, my language exchange friend who’s about 8,000 km away in Sydney, on a working holiday visa.
He was replying to the photo I sent of Shirasagijo (White Heron Castle), or more popularly known as Himeji Castle. The imposing structure has always been iconic, but the cherry blossom trees serving as its foreground have multiplied the historic castle’s beauty.
I asked my students for must-visit sakura viewing places, and many of them recommended Osaka Castle or Himeji Castle. It’s my first spring in the Kansai area, so I thought I’d do a little bit of exploring.
Don’t get …
Keep on reading: What the sakura can teach us in this pandemic