Shirako River Blossoms

Location: 35°45'59.7"N 139°36'35.1"E

I took this a block from my house in Nerima-ku on April 7, 2019. This time of year the Shirako River is spotted and at times covered with tiny pink cherry blossoms. The Shirako winds its way for about ten kilometers and then into Saitama's Shingashi River, which then joins the Arakawa River. The water shown above would've had another fifty kilometers to go before it reached Tokyo Bay. I can't help but wonder how many of these fleeting blossoms were carried all the way out to sea.

View of Vinh Nam Chon Beach

Location: 16°08'51.3"N 108°08'08.7"E

I took this photo on the Hai Van Pass, north of Da Nang, Vietnam (February 27, 2019). There wasn't a soul on the beach, and when I later went to take a dip in the sea down there, a woman gave me a nervous smile as she dragged her finger across her neck to let me know swimming in that water would be the end of me. I wasn't told why it's dangerous, but I didn't go any deeper than my ankles.

Location (approx.): 16°28'13.1"N 107°34'45.2"E

In the grounds of the Imperial City in Hue are a number of bonsai trees, which you can also see around Hue and in other Vietnamese cities. I found them striking particularly because they're so much bigger than any I've seen in Japan.

Location: 16.464685, 107.581482

Boats on the Perfume River, Hue. My ride on the right.