🌸 Sleepwalking Through the Night Sakura at Hirosaki Park, Aomori 🌌

#cherryblossom25 Even though I had already walked through Hirosaki Park during the day, somehow everything felt completely different at night. It’s as if the darkness gave new order to the familiar, transforming the surroundings into something strange and mysterious. The fully bloomed night sakura glowed with a cold, pale pink light. Even without artificial lighting, the blossoms seemed to make the darkness around them shine. This must be what the Japanese call “Hana-akari” (花明かり) — the gentle glow of flowers that illuminates the night. Sitting beneath Hirosaki Castle and gazing up at the night sakura, sometimes I was struck by the beauty, and other times… I felt a little scared. That kind of beauty was so quiet, so dreamlike, it almost felt unreal. If daytime at Hirosaki Park is a cheerful spring celebration, then nighttime under the cherry blossoms is a silent fairytale just for you. 💫 #travel