Hanegi Park Plum blossoms 2017 photos a second look
The Hanegi Park plum blossoms in 2017 were great. That year there was great weather for my visit. Tokyo had amazing blue skies that week. It was perfect for flower photography. The wait for them to bloom was worth it.
Hanegi is one of Tokyo’s many local parks. It’s nothing special for most of the year. But, when spring comes, and the plum blossoms bloom, we see something very nice. It’s very different from another place I often visit for these flowers, Yushima Tenjin.
Yushima Tenjin has a shrine and lots of entertainment. But it can be too crowded. Hanegi is different. Yes, it has some stalls, a teahouse, and entertainment, but it is more laid back and quiet. The emphasis is more on the flowers.
I went there early in the morning, and it was almost empty. The people there seemed to be locals. They were doing their morning walks, with or without a dog. Joggers were there too. It was real Tokyo suburban life.
Hanegi gave me a surprise. Through the trees was Mount Fuji! I’d been to the park many times, but that was the first time I saw the mountain from there. Might I have been unlucky with the weather in the past? Who knows, but I’m glad I saw it, especially with plum blossom to frame it.
Reflecting on the 2017 Hanegi Park Plum blossoms
I’ve republished these photos after more than five years. It’s interesting looking at them. To be honest, they are pretty bad. The biggest problem is the lack of a real subject. What was I thinking of when I hit the shutter button? I probably only saw a pretty flower and clicked. There was no thinking.
Many beginner photographers do this. We see something we like and press the shutter button. I’ve done it so many times over many years. What was I doing? Not much, obviously. It has become an ingrained problem that I am still fighting.
Maybe one of the causes is that I didn’t understand photography, let alone art when I was younger. I had no idea how to compose a photo. The same went for subject lighting. Now, I’m working on fixing those problems. Progress can take time.
The only picture that made me happy was the one with Mount Fuji! That’s a hard one to get as it is weather-dependent. I’ve been to the park maybe six times and only managed to get that shot once!
Anyway, if you have ever been to Hanegi Park to see the plum blossom festival, please let me know your thoughts. Or have you been to the festival anywhere else? Please share your experiences if you have any.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and okonomiyaki. His camera will photograph the entire city one day.
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External related websites:
- Hanegi Park (official Setagaya City website)