Spring in Kyoto – Shades of Green

Looking towards Higashiyama

In early May, one of the natural beauties of Japan is the lush spring foliage, exploding in shades of green. While the new leaves of the deciduous trees appear in bright hues of emerald, the new growth of some of the evergreens is extremely light compared to the dark green of the older leaves, giving the trees a two-colored appearance. Everyone loves the cherry blossoms and the autumn leaves, but there is a lot of attraction in other seasons as well. Now it’s a great time of year to appreciate the beauty and variety of just one color: green.

The Japanese maple – also in spring a superstar

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Green Tokyo

Green Tokyo (1) - Family Portrait

Tokyo is the world’s largest conurbation. And while it has many large parks and gardens, many residential areas look more like a concrete jungle. Streets are often narrow are seldom lined by trees or flower beds. Yet, many inhabitants, like myself, try to retain a bit of their sanity by growing some potted plants right on their doorsteps or balconies. When walking the streets of Tokyo (starting in our own quarter in Taito), I have found everything from a random jumble of plants growing in styrofoam boxes to a formal Japanese garden squeezed into a corner. I am here starting a series in which I will document the green that survives in Tokyo’s urban jungle. I hope you’ll enjoy.

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