(Picture: By Nishimura Goun (1877 – 1938)[Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

The plum blossoms are in bloom now. They look and smell lovely. I especially like the deep pink blossoms. They add a touch of early spring colour to a snowy landscape. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any snow left when I took these photographs, but they still look nice!

Many plum blossoms bloom in the grounds of Tenjin shrines. Tenjin shrines are dedicated to the deity Sugawara no Michizane, who is  the god of learning. The plum blossoms bloom around exam time in Japan, when students are visiting the shrine to pray for luck in their exams. It is said that Sugawara no Michizane loved plum blossoms, so many of the shrines dedicated to him have plum trees.

The plum blossoms also remind us that, very soon, the cherry blossoms will be in bloom, and spring will be here.