I'm very lucky in that each year when Golden week arrives, it falls on my Birthday. Golden week is a series of Public Holidays towards the end of April and beginning of May where almost the whole of Japan takes a holiday, like it or not.

Only the real hardcore will continue working in the Golden week or Obon holidays as they are almost traditions.

This year myself and my partner did our usual "Lets get into the country and to an Onsen".We chose Niigata as there was the chance of still seeing sakura blossom.

So off we drove to Niigata, had our onsen, then went around the various tourist attractions.

As its farmland countryside there were lots of little shrines for good harvests, one of particular interest was a complete copper roofed, but wooden built structure (see pic) first time I had seen one as such and as it was right next to a pond and farmland the area was teeming with wildlife.

 You could hear the croaking of spring fogs with the twitter of the birds.

Finally we headed to the cities main castle (城　しろ shiro). This was the 1st time to my visit such a castle and it was truly breathtaking.

I wondered a bit if the word "shiro" for "castle" was the same as "shiro" for "white" as this castle was brilliant white; either way a good way to remember the word.

The view from the top of the castle was particulalrly fascinating as it outlined just how pristine and model like the surrounding gardens were attended to.

Finally as the day was closing a good wind picked up and managed to see a rarity 花吹雪（はなふぶき） "Hanafubuki"

Hanafubuki meaning "A snow storm of blossom". The pink-white cherry trees were carried in the wind; creating what almost seemed like blizzard conditions only beautiful soft off white pink tinted flower petals and then would fall to blanket the ground with flower petal snow. 

Quite beautiful and most memorable.