Sakura 桜 the cherry blossom is one of the most featured objects of Japan. Hanami 花見 - literally flower viewing - is the traditional event of going to see the blossoming trees, mostly at the time of the Sakura. Compared to the fragile beauty of the flowers aloft the parties underneath the trees are rather gay and noisy events. The objective is more towards having a good drinking session with friends. It ends with groups of people staggering perilously towards the subway entrances and piles of garbage neatly separated by recyclable type in the specially provided containers. Once the last trains have dutifully absorbed the most ardent drinkers the Cherry blossoms can be admired again in peace. Alternatively a morning walk also invites to see these beautiful flowers. I took these photos on the evening of my return from South Africa in April 2009, when both the full moon 満月 and the Sakura were at their best. I found it a most beautiful combination of nature and elements. It was also a certain challenge to get light and focus right on both features using long exposures and flash.