Cherry blossoms are an indispensable part of spring for Japanese people. Viewing cherry blossoms at night is considered particularly tasteful.

The Kiyomizu Temple is not only a Buddhist temple of the Hossou sect, but also one of only a few Buddhist temples which predate the period when the national capital was transferred to Heian-kyou in Kyoto. The temple is also famous for its cherry-blossoms. The cherry blossoms are lit up at night, which creates a fantastic atmosphere that attracts many people.

This is a painting of a night scene of the Kiyomizu Temple in spring by Takuji Yoshimura.

“A moment of time on a spring evening is worth a thousand pieces of gold.”

This is a famous passage by Su Shi, a Chinese poet of the Song Dynasty (960–1279), and it seems as though the painting expresses the meaning of this passage. The blue color of the night sky, the full moon, the beautiful cherry blossoms, the Kiyomizu Temple painted with gold paint ―all of the elements harmonize with each other at a high level. This painting is filled with the Japanese aesthetic senses.