Whether day or night, Japanese artist Kagaya knows just how to capture the beauty of the sakura.

Japanese digital artist Kagaya is best known for his work depicting and inspired by celestial bodies. The 49-year-old Saitama native’s professional resume includes illustrated guides to the constellations and planetarium video programs.

However, Kagaya doesn’t spend all of his time working at a computer and envisioning the heavens. He’s also a talented photographer, and sometimes turns his lens to a lower angle to appreciate the beauty to be found on terra firma, such as in this stunning collection of cherry blossom photos.

A cooler-than-usual early April in Japan meant the sakura stayed on the branches longer than usual this year, which helped allow Kagaya to photograph them in a variety of locations. In addition to Kyoto’s Toji Temple, pictured above, he also traveled to Mount Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, widely considered one of the top cherry blossom viewing spots in the entire country.

▼ Another amazing photo from Nara, this time of the Matabezakura tree in Uda City, which is said to be 300 years old.

Of course, Tokyo also has plenty of great places to see the sakura, such as the Chidorigafuchi neighborhood, which is found next to the moat of the Imperial Palace.

Since Kagaya’s regular muse is the stars, it’s not surprising that he likes to incorporate them into his sakura photography as well, such as in this shot from Saitama that stands as further proof that the prefecture hides some surprisingly awesome scenery.

But while Kagaya’s nocturnal photos are undeniably captivating…

…he’s also got great daytime artistic sense, whether he’s playing with intriguing focus settings…

…or just stopping to take in the picturesque way flower petals have fallen on his car’s windshield, making it look like they’re suspended in mid-air.

We guess if you’re a true artist, sometimes you have to go look for beauty yourself, and sometimes beauty just comes to you.

Related: Kagaya official website
Featured image: Twitter/@KAGAYA_11949