Many people are probably familiar with the imagery of trees heavy with flowering cherry blossoms in Japanese culture. From ancient wall scrolls to scenes from romantic anime, showers of falling cherry petals are a common motif. And recently we here in Tokushima experienced the flowering sakura no ki (cherry trees) for ourselves.
The Japanese go gaga over sakura blossoms. During the week or so that they’re flowering, a common activity is to go on outings simply to admire the trees. This is called hanami, which might be translated as “flower viewing.” And a few weekends ago, when the bloom was at its height, that’s exactly what I did. But with a camera in tow!
There are few things as photogenic as the sakura trees in their full glory. It’s no wonder the Japanese embrace the occasion as one for celebration. Although, the other day I was chatting with the cashier at my grocery store, and she was sort of marveling at the Japanese penchant for festive opportunities. My comment was that the Japanese are certainly an iwai-zuki (celebration-loving) people.
The fascination with all things sakura here extends beyond the trees themselves. There are bentou boxes, handkerchiefs, and all sorts of paraphernalia decorated with cherry blossoms. It’s hard to go anywhere and NOT find something sakura-themed around this time.
So yeah, not a particularly long or in-depth post, but I figured such a significant event in this country warranted its own 15 minutes of reflection.
Mata kondo ne.
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