Cosmos Fields, Sera-cho

Cosmos flowers may be related to sunflowers, but the Chinese kanji characters 秋桜 literally mean “Autumn cherry blossoms”. Just as the sakura signal the start of spring, brightly colored cosmos, signal the shift from the heat of summer to the cooler autumn season.

Coming in a variety of bright colors, these pretty wildflowers brighten roadsides and country fields in mid September through October across the nation. Heading out into the country to spend a few hours wandering through big cosmos fields is also a popular early autumn day out.

These pics were taken during the Cosmos Festival at Kozan Lavender Hill in Sera.