As the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossoms fades and their delicate petals flutter away, our gaze turns to nature's next transition. From April through May, the Japanese archipelago dons a new vibrant cloak of colors.

Emerging from the forests where the sakura have retreated, vivid reds and pinks begin to dot the landscapes. The azaleas, known as tsutsuji, are blooming. Entire hillsides and mountain slopes become awash in what appears to be flaming clouds, signaling the earth's reawakening after winter's slumber.