The beauty of Japanese Apricot(Plum or Ume)

Kankobai-plum(寒紅梅）

Japanese apricot(Ume or plum) blossom is late  because of so cold in this year. But the  precocious Ume were in full bloom and the normal start blooming Ume were coming out in twos and threes at Osaka-Castle ume garden. I expected much more plum blossom at the garden. It's a disappointment.
But taking photos,  I realized the plum in full bloom is gorgeous but it's hard to take it perfectly  as many plums catch my eye. While a few flowers  have started to bloom in the cold air are fresh, graceful and we can enjoy the tree shape,too. I thought  it's lovely not only full bloom but also around Ume trees have  started to blossom.
According to the experts, generally the first flower in a Ume branch is more massive than the flowers bloom later in the same branch.

So when we enjoy Ume thoroughly, the beginning of bloom may be more charming than in full bloom.
Come to think of it,  Ume has been drawing on  the Japanese kimono or the Byobu(Japanese folding screen) from a long time ago.  I think those Ume are in  around the beginning of bloom in many cases.

Therefore the beauty of Ume for Japanese may be in  around the beginning of bloom. Of course, it depends on individual sense.

Red and White Plum Blossoms on the byobu by Ogata Korin in the 18centry(national treasure) image:by wikipedia

Kagoshimakou-plum(鹿児島紅）

Tojibai-plum(冬至梅）is in a full bloom

Talking of ume trees in the garden, the matured trunks are preferred. They bend like a hook. Young branches grow upward but gradually they grow sidewards and gardeners trim them in hooked shape many times. So the matured trunk has fine flavor.

The plum garden in the Osaka-Castle-Park

I sometimes drive on the freeway beside the Osaka-Castle  on my way back to my house from my mother's house in the night. The Castle-Tower is illuminated in the center of the dark grove surrounded by the showy city lights when I see it from the freeway.
The Castle-Tower shining  golden in the night's darkness  remind me of the glory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who governed Japan.

At first the castle was surrounded by the double moat. So it was invulnerable  castle. But after the death of Hideyoshi, after damping soil into the moat, the castle fell to the enemy. A young general who is a son of Hideyoshi and his beautiful mother committed suicide by daggers in the burning castle. Sad story.

I went Osaka-Castle at daytime after an interval of twelve years. I was surprised the appearance of the Castle-Tower was changed. So white wall, golden tigers on the wall, golden killer-whales on the roof repaired recently were dazzling. I heard this imitates Hideyoshi's Osaka-Castle.

The Osaka-Castle-Tower

Indeed, this present Castle-Tower is the third-generation and was built in A.D. 1931 by the contribution of citizen.
The first-generation Castle-Tower was built in A.D.1583 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi but it burnt down in A.D.1615 by the battle for supremacy of Japan.


                   This post is linked Our World Tuesday