Photos: Michael Cheung (@yorksakuraexplorer)

YORK is turning Japanese as the cherry blossom reaches full bloom – and one local enthusiast is determined to document this fleeting pink pleasure.

Michael Cheung, a York-based 33-year-old software engineer, has been taking photographs of the city's cherry blossom over the past few weeks and sharing the images on his Facebook and Instagram social media accounts under the name York Sakura Explorer.

Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom – but you don't have to head to the land of the rising sun to see this wonder of spring.

York is bursting with the distinctive pink blooms – which follow the first flush of white sakura earlier in springtime.

Michael has taken some stunning photos of the blossom against leading York landmarks, including the Minster and the City Walls.

He said: "I have lived in York for 15 years and every year I see the cherry blossom come out. It is so beautiful and so stunning. I really love Japanese culture and the blossom. It signifies life – because it comes out then disappears within days. It instils into us that life is for living."

Michael has been taking pictures of the blossom over the past two months, documenting the early buds bursting into flower, first with white petals, and more recently the pinks we can see today.

"There are some large weeping blossoms out now – and it is exactly what will be happening in Japan."

And his favourite blossoms? "Probably the ones by the railway station that just came out last week. They are amazing, but someone just tweeted me that there are some also at St Peter's school. They are the two best spots at the moment.

"Rowntree Park also has some trees – that would be a nice place to have a picnic."

Check out Michael's map of the cherry blossom in York via: kyounojanaru.com/york-sakura-explorer/

See more of his photos on Facebook: @yorksakuraexplorer and on Instagram: yorksakuraexplorer