Category: Urban Essays

This year’s ukon (a little late)

This is a topic from some days ago…

Last year, I wrote about the yellow-green cherry blossoms called ukon that are planted in the Fukuoka City Zoo parking area beside Minami Park, ten minutes away from our house on foot. The peak time had passed, so we sometimes tried to check it, because we didn’t want to miss them in full bloom this year.

The peak of someiyoshino (the typical cherry blossom in Japan) in full bloom at Minami Park was April 7th this year. We went along a path lined with cherry flowers in full bloom, and followed the bus route by the zoo, then reached the parking area just at closing time. Our goal, the ukon, was about 70% in bloom. Ye–es, the yellow-green colour is beautiful. But is it quiet, because there are not many flowers when you see it from a distance, and the colour is not outstanding. It doesn’t have an atmosphere declaring themselves to be showy and beautiful the same as white or pink cherry blossoms.

On Sunday the 9th, the someiyoshino passed their peak, and some petals were falling even in a weak wind. When a strong wind came, the shower of petals was very impressive. It like a stage set for the singer Kitajima Saburo at the annual Red and White Singing Show. It was so strong, they almost got into our nose or mouth.

Anyway, the ukon was in full bloom that day, but petals had already turned pinkish. The previous two days had been warm, so perhaps they bloomed too soon? We were sure we went there earlier than we had last year. Shogetsu and other kinds that look like pompoms still hadn’t opened much yet, but we saw them in full bloom last year. The ukon itself hadn’t become all that pink. However, we expected to see yellow-green ukon, so we were a little disappointed. Maybe the colour we were expecting to see is closer to the 70-80% blooming time.

Well, this year’s ukon looks like this.

By the way, we remember that the cherry trees in the parking area had name plates last year, but there weren’t many left this year. Why were they missing!? Did they blow away in the wind? What kind of person would steal them? (They just had a printed text with the name of the cherry tree and a short explanation.) We don’t know who in the ward or city government is responsible for maintaining them, but please put them back!

–YS, 13 April 2006

13 April 2006