A Cherry Blossom Break on the Oku-Biwako Parkway A surprise beneath the blossoms—and inside the bread

In mid-April, I drove along the Oku-Biwako Parkway and got out at Tsuzuraozaki. As I walked along the path, cherry branches spread overhead. I was looking up at the blossoms when I spotted the lake through the tree trunks. I’d expected a wide-open view; right then, I was happier to find the lake through a little gap in the branches.

At a landing between the steps, I stopped and took out the Salad Pan I’d brought. I tugged my beige jacket sleeves into place and held the bread in both hands. It looked like a soft roll, but the filling was pickled daikon and mayonnaise. I wondered what pickled daikon and mayo would taste like in a bread roll, then took a bite.

First came the softness of the bread, then the crunch of the chopped pickled daikon. I’d imagined sweet bread, and now I wanted to find out what was inside. I took another bite, this time from a bit with more filling. Having a familiar pickle tucked into bread felt like one more little pleasure I’d found on the trip.

My friend was a little way ahead, looking at the blossoms, so I swallowed my bite and called out, “You can see the lake from here, too.” She came back and peered through the same gap in the trunks. Each time the cherry branches swayed, the water beyond looked a little different. I kept looking through the gap, still holding my bread.

After our break, I looked up the steps along the handrail. Blossoms continued above the next landing. I’d come to the observatory thinking I’d look out into the distance, but today I got to take in the cherry blossoms up close too. Even after my friend and I set off again, I kept thinking about that little gap in the trees. I think I’ll remember the bread’s crunch as part of that time beneath the blossoms.