Hello, February fragrant blossoms

I'm entranced by the sights, scents, and experiences of Noda City in Chiba Prefecture. It's a bit out of the way but offers many iconic and enticing experiences. The iconic Kikkoman soy sauce brewing scents the air with the earthy fermented aroma. In early spring, we're also enveloped in the spicy and sweet aroma of wintersweet, known as 蝋梅 robai in Japanese.

Noda City's Shimizu Park is noted as a location to inhale the heady fragrance of these golden blossoms. There is a row of shrubs on the north side of the park that emit the sharp and sweet perfume.

February weather in the Kanto region is fickle, and this morning we had bright sunshine and then overcast in the afternoon of Saturday, February 1st. Before the weather turned, I took in the first glimpse of plum blossoms in Shimizu Park's plum blossom grove.

The park is famous for its cherry and azalea blooming seasons, but the plums are a delight for their variety of colors and subtle fragrance.

Are wintersweet and plums blossoming where you are?