I see this tree all year round, as it is on my bicycle commute route, in Tagami, just below the back tunnel that leads to the university. There are a few graves under the tree (you can see two on the left, but the older ones are out of the frame) and I wonder which came first. Not that I am in need of one anytime soon, knock on wood, but what a lovely place to rest your bones in peace.
If you follow the road a bit downhill, there is a sakura in front of a Shinto shrine, which is also on my route. I didn't notice it until this year, but I always check it out now. If you look carefully, you can see that what was probably a good 60 year-old tree had a rough time and was cut at mid trunk.
Instead of rotting away, the tree held on, and a branch has triumphantly grown out of the old tree's roots. The flowers remind me that even though you think all is lost, time cures just about anything. Seeing this each morning brings awareness to my desire to stop dwelling on what could have been and just dig what is blooming right now. I have been toting around dead wood for a while and it is time to lighten my load. Easier said than done, but for a few seconds when I ride by, I smile at this little sign that the kami of the shrine has left for me.
So, happy spring to ye.