Cherry Blossoms at Night

These are the cherry blossoms along the moat of Fukui Castle (the wall and the moat still exist, the castle doesn't).

April is the start of the school year and the spring-summer term

April is the start of the school year in Japan, for all levels of education. It is also the time when people start new jobs and move home. A basic rule of nature in regards to the school year: when the plum trees blossom in February-March, students are taking entrance exams and/or attending graduation ceremonies. When the cherry trees blossom, students are attending enrollment/matriculation ceremonies, and classes for the spring term commence.

In this photo we have the faint beginnings of the cherry blossoms outside the College of Education and Regional Studies, University of Fukui, Bunkyo Campus, Fukui Japan. March was cold and very rainy, but now that it has got warmer, we can expect a lot of blossoms on the cherry and dogwood trees.