Pure white "ginryoso" flowers, or Monotropastrum humile, bloom among fallen leaves at Oomiwa Jinja shrine in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, on April 22, 2025. They have begun to bloom in various spots on the Shinto shrine grounds, and are apparently expected to be at their best until around the end of April. Ginryoso is a saprophytic plant in the heath family that grows to a height of 10 to 20 centimeters. It is also referred to in Japanese as "yurei-dake," literally meaning ghost mushroom, due to its appearance. A shrine spokesperson commented, "We want visitors to enjoy discovering these quietly blooming, delicate flowers."

(Japanese original by Yasuyoshi Mochizuki, Sakurai Local Bureau)