Urakawa, Hokkaido

About three hours by car from Sapporo to the south is a town called Urakawa (浦河) . It's a place where most horse farms located. Thus, a birth place of Hokkaido horses.If you would already notice, what the horses do most is eating, eating, and eating...

What follow are pony, the smaller horse bleeds.
I had long mistaken it as mule (hybrid of donkey and horse).
The horses and ponies are very friendly, they love human a lot...
As soon as I get close enough to the fence (or sometime walk into the fence), they came to me yearning for contact.
See, you can actually touch the horse if you like...

Hokkaido University campus in spring 2009

Among Japan universities, Hokkaido University is rated the 1st place for the theme 'beautiful campus'.
Thus as a photo enthusiast, having the chance to spend my phd life here is like a child who has his dream of staying in a house made of chocolate come true!

In spring season, the campus of Hokkaido University becomes very colourful... you can see variety of wild flowers blooming here and there.
All the following pictures are shoot in the campus.
If you have small pet, I guess this is the angle they see the world...

These yellow flowers seem to be the main character of spring 2009... it's just everywhere!
To my surprise, this maple leaves photo seems to be more beautiful than the maple leaves photo I took in autumn last year...

Cherry blossom of Maruyamakouen, Hokkaido

In Japan, cherry blossom (sakura in Japanese) and maple leaves are two most important features of spring and autumn.
However, Hokkaido is not really a good place for cherry blossom viewing; Due to the cold weather, cherry blossom here not vigorously bloom like at Kyoto area which makes you go 'wow'.
Here you'll just say "ah sakura...'
See the following picture, a sakura garden of Maruyamakouen at Sapporo, the blooms are scatter a little here and there :(

In photography, however, that is not an excuse of not making good pictures.
As sakura itself is very beautiful flower, thus with proper contral of backgroud, deep of field and composition, it is still possible to make very attractive pictures.
Knowing that the sakura tree is not attractive as a whole, I therefore go for closeup.