Always the bridesmaid and never the bride

I was enjoying one of my favorite nanohana spots in Nagaoka recently, and I got to thinking about how it's so underrated here. For a flower that paints entire riverbanks in bright yellow, it doesn't get the same attention as other spring blooms or even autumn leaves.

In many parts of the world I reckon a scene like this would draw tons of people. In Nagaoka I had the place basically to myself.

Part of it is probably down to the timing. Nanohana tends to bloom alongside sakura season, and realistically it's hard to compete with the cultural weight of cherry blossoms.

I personally think that's a big part of what makes it special though, since you don't need to fight crowds or stake out a picnic spot hours in advance. Instead, you get these wide, open fields of yellow, often paired with bits of lingering snow on the mountaintops.