This spring while leading my annual cross country Cherry Blossom photo workshop, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom two and half weeks early; plus, this spring’s bloom was the earliest on record.  As a pro Japan photography workshop leader, I pulled off what most would consider impossible.  Most years at must see locations such as Matsumoto Castle, I run into another group of photographers, but this spring my clients and I did not meet up with any other photo workshops, as I had to lead the group way-way off the beaten path, to experience the perfect cherry blossoms in mankai.  Globally, tv and net news of the early bloom went viral, and I even had a client from down under cancel after reading or watching the news of Japan’s cherry blossom being 2 1/2 weeks early.  Her loss!  Participants who showed up had a front row seat experiencing perfectly full bloom sakura.   Our route took us through the Japanese Alps, from the Pacific Ocean side of Japan to the Sea of Japan side and back to the Pacific Ocean side of Japan.  We chased the light in pursuit of the perfect cherry blossoms, which we came across daily.   To be completely honest, I was concerned about this workshop, as I had never experienced such an early bloom.  I even consulted one of my Zen Buddhist mentors.  He simply told me not to worry about the workshop because I was a Zen Buddhist, and I knew the route better than Google Maps.  “Chill,” he said, “Just think of all the ancient cherry blossoms in the highlands you have never gotten to view due to leading or scouting in northern Japan for photo tours while they are in bloom.”  He went on to say, “You’re going to have a great adventure, especially because you always use the Beginner’s Mindset.”  Having the beginner’s mindset means approaching the same location or theme and photographing, as if I am laying eyes on the subject for the first time.  A camera, for me, is simply an extension of my perception and perspective by the lighting.  I am a visual artist.  As an amateur historian, while researching Japanese Zen Buddhist philosophies and history, I came upon D.T. Suzuki’s teachings and the beginner’s mindset; his philosophy regenerated my perspective back to the moment when I first picked up a camera.  Mentors guided me from an early age to respect my environment, my surroundings and to treat all sentient and spiritual beings as my family.  Without a beginner’s mindset, an adventure chasing the light will only show people with preconceived notions the fallacy of their perceptions and opinions.  Of course my mentor was right.  I trusted in my experience and skills to bring my clients and perfect cherry blossoms together, and that’s precisely what happened.  My favorite spring adventures are chasing the light and the cherry blossoms with participants on my cross country Cherry Blossom photo workshops.

Before running any photography workshop, I spend three to five years or more thoroughly scouting a region, so I know the lay of the land like the back of my hand.  In 2025 or 2026, I will be adding another annual cross country Cherry Blossom group photo workshop, this one will take place in Tohoku which is the northern region of Japan, and will start one or two weeks after my central Japan cherry blossom photo workshop.  As usual, the meet and greet will be in Tokyo, and quickly we will depart for Morioka, then onto Fukushima, Sendai, Akita, Aomori, and Hokkaido.  I was initially concerned about adding Aomori because of the weather in the region, the ferocious winds giving me pause, but I again remembered discussing with my Zen Buddhist mentor who told me to trust in my inner-self instincts, and my skills reading weather charts, predicting weather and leading international participants safely on a Japan photo workshop.  I then thought about the winds a different way, turning them into a challenge that I will overcome.  Climate change is reality, but the question is will the earth heal?  Yes, I believe it will, but time will only tell.  Turning back the clock forty years, I was a student of environmental sciences, and we did not believe we would experience the effects of climate change in our lifetimes, but this summer hit new high temperatures, a one in one hundred and twenty thousand year’s high temperatures.   Oh wow, were we ever off the mark.  But life and adventures must go on, and I am learning the new weather patterns.  And this is one of the reasons I am branching out into the wild northern frontier of Japan. 

One location that will most likely be part of my Tohoku cherry blossom photo workshop tour is Hirosaki Castle.  The park and grounds surrounding the castle are home to over 2,500 sakura trees with varieties that include somei yoshino (Prunus yedoensis), yaezakura (Prunus serrulata), and shidarezakura (Prunus subhirtella ‘pendula’).  And because of the lack of pesticide use, ancient trees dating back to the 19th century are still viewable by visitors, and one phenomenon that I love introducing my participants to is the velvety pink sakura petals that blanket Hirosaki castle’s surrounding moat.  And this is only one of numerous locations that will be part of the Tohoku Cherry Blossom photo workshop itinerary - Japan photo tour of a lifetime.