Quintessential Japanese Sakura

This week we're enjoying the quintessential Japanese experience: Sakura (Cherry Blossom trees) blooming. They only bloom for a few days a year. They are spectacular. 

Outside the Japanese primary school across the road from CAJ.

One of the things that particularly impresses me is that every spring I've forgotten how many trees are around and I always get surprised. They don't stand out any other time of year, but at this time you come around a corner and there is another beautiful flowering tree. 

Around the corner from the shop where I buy a lot of our milk and OJ. It is
next to a paid bike-parking place.

Today I've been out and about in our local area (probably not more than 1.5km from home) and I just took some quick photos with my phone. Not the best photos, but just enough visual to show you how they grace the community with beauty.

Not the best photo, because the clouds were closing in (they photograph
much better when the sky is blue). This is the heart of the CAJ campus.
Someone with a good deal of foresight planted this area with several trees
many years ago and it is gorgeous. They also provide deep shade in summer.

From CAJ's car park, looking across to the
Japanese primary school. These trees are
frequently found at schools. The blooming is
associated with the new school year (starting
next week).

This is around the corner from our house. 50m?
The other side of the Japanese primary school.

Inside the Japanese elementary school, there is this beautiful bank of trees.
This is a common sight at schools here.

I go through this train intersection a lot on my bike (usually to the gym). I love this
avenue of sakura between tall apartment buildings.

If you'd like some better photos, here is a place to go looking.

But the season ends quickly. These are not robust
flowers. They will soon fall, earlier if there is
rain (which is forecast for tonight) or wind.
One reason the flowering trees are spectacular
is that they come before the leaves, but not very
long before the leaves. Once the leaves come,
the trees don't look as good, even if they still
have flowers on them.