2025/03/30 [Sun]
Hey there! How’s the changing of seasons been treating you? This year has been all kinds of weird, hasn’t it? One day, the temperature spikes and it feels like summer. The next day, the chill creeps back in, and boom—it’s cold again, with rain making surprise appearances. The trees, not wanting to miss out, are bursting with pollen, leaving allergy sufferers struggling. Maybe this unpredictability is what spring always brings, but honestly? I can’t remember!
When I lived in Hokkaido, the weather felt like a whole different story. There, cold lingered stubbornly until the end of April. By late March, the snow would start melting, and by April, it’d vanish rapidly, making way for breathtaking sakura blooms. That’s what my friends still in Hokkaido tell me, at least.
But get this—it snowed today! March 30th, right at the month’s end, and Hokkaido is still seeing snow! Crazy, right? Weather this year has been unpredictable everywhere. Last March, I barely saw snow where I lived. By mid-April, we were snow-free, though Sapporo’s snow usually melted by March’s end. I wonder—will it snow in April this year? It’s hard to say, but given how wild the weather’s been, I wouldn’t rule it out.
Sometimes, Hokkaido does get surprise snow in April, but it’s usually brief—melting almost as soon as it falls. I didn’t experience that when I lived there, but who knows? Maybe this year will be different. My friends will keep me updated, and I’m curious to see what happens. Of course, skiing and snowboarding fans might be thrilled, but I doubt it’ll be the powdery snow they love—it’s likely to be slushy instead. Not that I’d know much about snow types; I never tried skiing or snowboarding while I lived there. Shocking, right?
Speaking of spring, let’s talk sakura. A couple of days ago, we decided to gather some friends staying upstairs and check out the cherry blossoms. Excited, we headed to a nearby park known for its blooms…but they weren’t in bloom at all! I usually rely on an online sakura calendar, which is updated frequently, but this year it’s been way off—probably thanks to the extreme temperature fluctuations. At least, that was the case here in Gunma; maybe other prefectures have had better luck.
Determined, we went to another park and found plum trees in full bloom, with a few cherry blossoms starting to peek out. It wasn’t quite the stunning sight we’d hoped for, but we still enjoyed exploring the park. We wandered through fields, trekked across different paths, and eventually looped back to the main road.
Our walk turned into a bit of an unexpected adventure. The guys in our group decided to take a detour down some slopes to explore, while the ladies, understandably less adventurous given their less-than-ideal footwear, waited. We pressed on anyway, navigating our way back to the starting point. It was a fun little hike overall. My only regret? I started out hungry and thirsty. Luckily, once we got back to the car, I had water waiting and downed the whole bottle in one go. A good walk is just what you need after a day of overindulgence, don’t you think?
What about you? Have you gone cherry blossom hunting yet? Maybe you’re planning to go soon. If so, I hope the weather’s on your side. Over here, the forecast predicts rain for the next few days, which is a bummer.
I can’t help but think back to my time in Tokushima. I’d commute to work, watching the sakura bloom, wishing I could skip work to enjoy them. But when the weekend finally arrived? Rain and strong winds would ruin the blossoms, leaving the trees looking a bit sad. It feels like this year might be a repeat of those experiences. Here’s hoping for better weather for all of us—fingers crossed, right?
