Yoshinori Mizutani: Whispers of the Forest, Footsteps of the Seasons

Spring is a time when you sense the arrival of different flowers as they come into bloom. The scent of plum blossoms is first to fill the Ueno Forest, followed by a variety of cherry blossoms, from the Kanzakura to the Yoshino Cherry. Then there's the iris, peonies, and magnolias. The lukewarm water murmurs as it flows into Shinobazu Pond, and the birds sing with verve as they welcome the breeding season. This is the time when the cool light breeze of early summer arrives, with the refreshing sound of the wind rustling the young leaves as it passes through the trees. 

The white flowers of dogwood herald the turn of the season. The hydrangeas peep out along walking trails, their colors growing deeper with each rainfall, and as the rain falls, it drowns out the surrounding hustle and bustle. When the dazzling sunlight shines on the surface of the water, the lotus flowers also bloom, becoming the stars of the show on Shinobazu Pond in summer. Visit early in the morning and you might get to hear the quiet popping sound they make as they open. When you hear the “kana kana kana” of the evening cicada's song, you know it's already dusk. 

When you start hearing the sounds of insects coming from the shadows of the undergrowth, the season is autumn. Many of the trees around Ueno Forest turn red, from cherry blossoms and tulip trees to wax trees, Japanese maples, and gingko trees. As the temperature drops, the colors grow even more vivid. Then when the leaves fall, they completely cover the entire area. There's nothing quite like the sensation and the delicate sound of stepping on this dense carpet of fallen leaves. Looking up at the sound of the birds flapping their wings, the sky seems much higher. 

When the cold wind blows between the bare trees, winter has arrived. Birds perched on bare branches prepare by fluffing up their warm winter feathers. In the early morning when the temperature drops ever lower, Shinobazu Pond is often covered in thin ice. Sometimes you can hear the faint sound of cracking. Towards the end of winter, it might snow in Tokyo. When the snow builds up, it absorbs all the surrounding sounds, enveloping the park in a rare tranquility. A moment of silence comes to the vast Ueno Forest.