You may have thought cherry blossom season was over but while Tokyo is caught in the post-sakura blues, Tohoku region is still in the pink. Hanami season is sweeping up north where the colder climate means a late blooming. North Japan’s inhabitants are still out with their cameras trying to catch that perfect shot of the spring scenery for this year.

Aomori is the northern most prefecture located on Japan’s main island of Honshu and is famous for its beautiful scenery (although to be fair, most of Japan is famous for scenery).

At the prefecture’s Hirosaki Park, home to Hirosaki Castle and a famous sakura viewing spot, one Twitter user (@CybershotTad) noticed a striking difference in atmosphere when comparing the cherry blossoms of the daytime to the same flowers in the evening.

The petals had fallen into the river creating a perfect pink blanket that coated the surface of the water. In Japanese this is known as 'hanaikada', literally meaning a flower raft. You can see visitors to the park enjoying the beautiful sight in the sunny weather.

Come nightfall, the pink raft had fragmented giving a cracked appearance. The glassy black water surface peeking through and colourful lighting could make one think of a boulder opal.

The photographer himself compared the floating petals to drifting ice.

It seems as though all the charms of cherry blossom season are yet to be revealed. After taking part in hanami year after year you might think you’ve seen it all, but then sometimes onlookers will chance upon serendipitous discoveries such as this.