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Pale white or darker pink blossoms begin to bloom on the
knobbly cherry blossom branches and a whole country watches in
breathless anticipation as more and more of the fragile
flowers appear. Television stations and other media broadcast
the sakura situation to their millions of viewers, detailing
where blossoms are not yet begun, where they are almost in
full bloom, where they are almost over and, of course, the
best place to see the perfect display. Train stations show
boards with pictorial representations of the state of the
flowers next to place names and people flock from one end of
the country to the other to see the best displays.
The brief perfection of the sakura has inspired many a
Japanese poet and author as well as foreign writers who
compare the flower to lives of famous but short-lived people
and the ravages of time. Each blossom is only at it’s best for
few days of the year although there are some who prefer the
snow-like effect of the bloom’s end or the blanket of pinky
white spread beneath the branches that results once the
blossoms fall. Some tell tales of the sakura which resemble
the story of the Ugly Duckling where the resultant flower is
perfection.
Sakura buds, stems and flowers are
commonly seen in both Ikebana and other floral arrangements as
well as in folding screen and lacquered box paintings and on
kimonos and fans and songs and stories extol their virtues.
Their presence is incorporated still in most artistic aspects
of Japanese life, both traditional and modern.
The event
The sakura or cherry blossom is Japan's national flower and
blooms in late March to April every year at various times
depending on the weather and the location. People go to
shrines and parks for the blossom viewing or 'hanami'. These
blossoms only bloom for a short time each year and people
everywhere wait avidly for news of what is the best location
each day. Companies and families send out members early to try
to reserve the best spot under the trees to have a celebratory
party. With karaoke and sake (rice wine) and lots of food,
there is good cheer all around.
Trees are hung with lanterns so that partying can continue
throughout the night and the sakura looks ethereal and almost
artificial in their reflection. While the real cherry blossoms
decorate parks and shrines, artificial blossoms adorn shop
fronts and streetlights making this a festival difficult to
miss. Many towns have street parades with floats, stalls and
music adding to the noise of celebration all around.
The history
The first hanami took place in the late 17th century when
people gathered under the cherry blossoms to eat and drink and
sing. Short skits were acted and brightly coloured kimonos
were a common sight. The political situation at the time was
such that many restrictions had been placed on the Japanese
people so this was a rare occasion where they could gather and
enjoy themselves without fear of retribution for their
actions.
Being at the beginning of spring, these hanami also
welcomed the gods who would bless the rice fields in rural
areas although this has now been forgotten in all but the most
traditional regions of Japan.
Hanami has changed little since these early times although
of course it now has its commercial appeal. But, it is
certainly one of those to see when you are in Japan. What is
difficult is firstly getting your timing right with the
blooming as you can easily miss out if the season begins too
early or too late due to unseasonal hot or cold weather.
Secondly, this is one of the peak times for travel in Japan
and hotels and domestic travel can be booked many months in
advance or extremely crowded. Thirdly, the sites themselves
will be crowded, particularly places like Kyoto in the south
of Japan and Ueno Park near Tokyo, 2 of the most magnificent
displays of cherry blossoms. Despite all this, the hanami is a
true Japanese tradition as well as being a magnificent visual
spectacle and, perhaps you will get an insight into the
Japanese culture through this not-to-be-missed festival.
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