Twelve Pictures of the Months: 3. The March Picture | Yoshimura Kokei 吉村孝敬 | 1769-1836

In March, the main theme is sakura . However, it's not just a single cherry tree in a garden that's depicted, but presumably wild sakura growing in the mountains. Such a scene can best be admired in Yoshino, south of Nara, where there are also old varieties of cherry trees that, viewed up close, don't yet appear as brilliant and lush as the newer varieties usually seen in city parks and temple gardens; the subtle coloring suggests this rural cherry blossom variety.

The top bar contains only decorative cloud formations, but the bottom bar shows a group of flowers that are difficult to identify. One might think of sumire violets (which would also be seasonally accurate), but the shape of the leaves is not convincing…