From Ambassador (Seasonal change)

When I was in Tokyo in the middle of March, I watched news that the first blooming of cherry blossoms was seen in Kochi City, earlier than average.  It's been three weeks since then, and I hear the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Tokyo.  Here are the photos that my friend kindly sent to me.

The Easter holidays are over now, and there is still snow on the ground in Reykjavik.　It is very unlikely for us to appreciate cherry blossoms and snow at the same time.  However, I think both Japanese and Icelanders have in common that they cherish the changing of the seasons.  In Japan, the timing and location of cherry blossom blooming is big news every year.  In Iceland, too, I feel that the change of seasons, from winter to spring, is highly valued.  This year, after there was a lot of snow from February, as the snow-covered ground is exposed, the scenery has changed dramatically.  A graylag goose was strolling around in the sunlight.

In Iceland, sightings of the loa (European golden plover), a bird who heralds the arrival of spring, are reported every year with the headline "Lóan er komin" (The loa has come), meaning "Spring has arrived."  While the movements of nature in Iceland don't make the big news like they do in Japan, they give us dynamic feeling.  On April 7th, it rained, instead of snow.  The rainbow I saw after it stopped gave a sense of strength.