Sakura-Nanohana Road Cherry Blossoms Overhead, Canola Flowers Beside Me

I came to Ogata Village on a clear morning in late April. Ever since I first heard about Sakura-Nanohana Road, I’d wanted to drive it at this time of year. I kept my eyes on the road as I drove; I’d save a proper look at the flowers for after I got out. As I walked over to the roadside, the canola flowers nearby caught my eye first.

I wore a purple hoodie, denim shorts, and black boots. As I looked up at a cherry branch, my hair snagged on the edge of my hood. I freed the strand and looked up again. The blossoms looked so much closer than they had from the car, and I was glad I’d stopped.

Cherry blossoms above my head; canola flowers when I looked down. I love that they grow together beside the road instead of in separate flower fields. My driving friend said, “You can point the camera anywhere and still get flowers in the shot.” I looked down the road stretching into the distance, then at the branch right beside me. I wanted to take in both the nearby blossoms and the flowers lining the road in the distance.

I heard the cherry blossoms and canola flowers bloom along about 11 km of this road. I could only see a small part of it from where I stood, but knowing the blossoms continued farther along made me want to drive a little more. The morning light brought each blossom into focus, and the sky felt so wide. Before I took a photo, I let my gaze follow the road into the distance.

After admiring the flowers for a while, my friend and I got to talking about souvenirs. Ogata Village’s pumpkin pie, made with the village’s own pumpkins, sounded tempting, too. I wanted to bring one home and enjoy it with tea. I hadn’t picked anything up yet, but it already felt like there was one more treat to look forward to on this detour.

As I was about to return to the car, I looked up at the cherry branch one more time. With blossoms everywhere, I wanted to photograph them all, but I also wanted to remember how close they were. I got into the driver’s seat, checked the road ahead, and set off. Even on the way back, remembering the cherry blossoms overhead and the canola flowers right beside me made me smile.