Early April. Cherry blossoms dot the mountains of Kumano here and there. The slopes seem untouched by people, so I had assumed they were all wild. But apparently, that's not always the case.
Even in places where no one walks anymore, there are spots that were once mountain paths. Sometimes small shrines or sacred stones remain. It wouldn't be strange if cherry trees were planted near such places as landmarks.
Some mountain cherry blossoms bloom as early as mid-March. Those might be Kumano-zakura, said to bloom early. That said, even up close, I can't tell them apart. Kumano-zakura is a wild cherry recently identified as a new species. It's only natural that an amateur eye would struggle to distinguish it.
In any case, early April is when cherry blossoms and fresh greenery color the mountains. I look forward to this season every year. This year too, I pressed the shutter.
