It's not very difficult to capture the poetry of sakura when you shoot it in gardens and parks; but it doesn't express how magical the city can turn at the blossoming season. Sakura in the nature is glorious, but sakura in the city is more than that....

In old Japan, the shy and perfumed plum tree flowers (梅, ume) were venerated even more than the gorgeous sakura. With their round blossoms and their sweet smell, they meant the end of the winter, the very first step towards spring. Nowadays, the tradition...