A Tiny Cherry Blossom from Japan

Earlier this year, I made my usual pilgrimage to Japan — this time exploring the Osaka–Kansai region and Hiroshima. I try to make the trip every couple of years, and as always, I came home with a few treasures. One of them was a Nanoblock Mininano kit I picked up at a sightseeing spot in Osaka (though I can’t quite remember exactly where). Among the shelves of small souvenirs, this little kit caught my eye. At around ¥990, it felt like the perfect impulse buy.

Originally, I’d planned to give it to someone as a gift, but life got in the way. Fast‑forward almost eight months, and I finally found a quiet moment to open it. The fun part? The packaging doesn’t tell you which bonsai design you’ve got — it’s a blind box, so you only find out after opening it. I was secretly hoping for either the cherry blossom or the pine, and luck was on my side: cherry blossom it was.

Building it was quick and relaxing — about 15 minutes, even while I was half‑distracted playing on the computer. It’s the kind of easy, satisfying project you could do while binge‑watching the latest J‑Drama, Glass Heart. The finished piece is a delicate 6 cm‑tall cherry blossom in full bloom, now proudly displayed alongside my beloved Gundam models.

It’s a small reminder of my trip, and proof that even the tiniest souvenirs can hold a lot of joy. Here’s a link to the official page for them. Nanoblocks