Not sure if you meant to add the image you did, but there is nothing to identify in a picture of water, mountains and cloud!

Maybe Berberis julianae?

Look it up and see.

Dave, I think you are right!! I googled berberis julianae and it sure looks like the same plant. Thank you!

Aurora, yep, I messed up on the photo upload, but edited to add the correct pic. I think I had not saved the pic as a jpeg and that may have been the problem....

It's thorns have been described as 'vicious'. I'll go along with that.
Mike

There are a number of evergreen barberries. Are the plants more upright or spreading? I'm assuming this is evergreen.

But the Berberis julianae is probably the most common (upright).

If it's lower and more spreading it could possibly be Berberis x gladwynensis 'William Penn', or even something else.

Thanks for more info. The plant is upright, and almost looks like it 'vines' or 'climbs' into the cryptomeria....but it is actually holding itself up and not grabbing onto anything and has strong branches that send out upright viney-looking shoots. Hope that makes sense. It is around 4 or more feet high if that helps....

I didn't have a camera with me, that's why I swiped a little piece to photgraph....