April 10, 2022.
On this day, I photographed the Omuro cherry blossoms of Ninna-ji in full bloom beneath a clear blue sky.
For me, this scene was not merely a spring landscape.
It was a day of record, a day of monument, and one that will continue to hold a special meaning even when looked back upon in later years.

This was still a time deeply affected by the COVID era.
Yet that very circumstance unexpectedly created an unusually comfortable environment for photography.
With the flow of people greatly reduced, I was able to observe and capture more deeply the stillness and dignity inherent in the Omuro cherry blossoms.

The blue sky.
The Omuro cherry blossoms in full bloom.
And the weight of time preserved within the singular setting of Ninna-ji.
When all of these came together, the scene before me ceased to be merely a record of a famous site and rose instead as a monument to spring itself.

For the music, I chose Saint-Saëns and Fauré.
Their elegance and lyricism resonate deeply with the quiet splendor of the Omuro cherry blossoms and with the sense of time dwelling in the light of spring.

I offer the Omuro cherry blossoms of Ninna-ji on this day to the world as a visual poem.