An Evening in Tsutsujigaoka Park

The Eastern part of Sendai is a spacious district, with wide streets and a large public park. The park is named Tsutsujigaoka Park after the Japanese word for azaleas – tsutsuji. It's known as one of Sendai's best spots to enjoy sakura in bloom during the spring months.

It's not just the sakura that can be enjoyed at Tsutsujigaoka Park - the area is also good for cycling, jogging and outdoor games as it has wide paths and a big grassy field. My visit was in mid-October and I could feast my eyes on the beautiful autumn colors of the trees, though some of them were still green. In the center of Tsutsujigaoka Park, the fountain refreshed the air and sparkled in the evening sun. Many people came to rest, to play with their children or to walk with their dogs.

I enjoyed a walk among the big old trees when suddenly I noticed some dark trees with twisted trunks and bare branches. They were sakura trees that had lost their leaves earlier than the other trees - they looked a bit scary against the blue sky! There were benches under sakura trees, and I sat down for a break and imagined how beautiful they are in full bloom.