Embrace Pink This Spring With Japan's Cherry Blossoms
What comes to your mind when you hear the word spring?
Cherry Blossoms!
Sandwiched between the long, bitter winter months and the sweltering humidity of summer, spring is by far the most popular time for tourism in Japan; The Cherry Blossom Festival.
Cherry Blossoms or what they also call “Sakura” in Japanese, is Japan’s National Flower which blooms every Spring season in Japan. Japan's sakura season is feverishly anticipated by locals and visitors alike. Many tourists plan their entire trips around the blooms and Japanese flock to parks in the millions to enjoy the seasonal spectacle.
Spring is not spring without pink blanket of Cherry Blossoms. Every village and town of Japan warmly welcomes spring with waves of Cherry Blossoms. Japan’s iconic flower represents the beauty and brevity of life. The most important factor in determining the blooming time of cherry trees is the geographical location. The milder the climate, the earlier the blossoms open, so the blossom-time sweeps up the country from south to north.
The cherry blossom front sweeps along the length of the country each year, beginning with Okinawa in the far south in February and working it's way along to Northern Hokkaido in May.
The year-old traditional festival of Sakura in Japan marks the start of spring there. Cherry trees or ‘Sakura’ symbolises the purpose and meaning of human life in Japanese culture.
In ancient Japan, cherry blossom had great importance because it announced the rice-planting season and was used to divine the year's harvest. Such was its significance that the Japanese believed the sakura trees contained spirits, and made offerings to them with rice wine. This grew into the tradition of the hanami or flower viewing - a celebration of feasting, drinking and making merry that is thought to have begun in the Imperial court of Emperor Saga.
Source: Google Images
Until today when Sakura is in full bloom, people take break from their daily routine to see the tree in full bloom. They often gather and sit under the trees, bringing food, drinks and occasionally music with them. It's a hugely symbolic and much-loved source of national pride, a chance to recognise and reflect on the beauty of nature while welcoming the new season.
Typical Hanami spots include city parks, landscape gardens, castle grounds and along riverbanks, and you'll find all of these areas buzzing with people throughout the sakura season. The blossom usually only hangs around for a couple of weeks - sometimes less if there is heavy rain.
An interesting fact about Sakura is that their lifespan is very short. They bloom for a week or two and then wither off. Shortly after the flowers have fully developed, the wind starts whisking them off. Due to their brief lifespan, in Japanese traditions these breath-taking blossoms serves as a gentle reminder to how precious our lives are. The small fair petals are not only a beauty to behold but also a metaphor for life itself. Nothing seems more reminiscent of human mortality than Sakura.
The symbolism behind Japan’s most iconic flower is complex. The falling petals became the Nationalist icon during the Japanese Colonial Expansion.
If you are in Japan during the Sakura festival, it might seem as if the whole country is turned pink. There are Sakura themed events and festivals going on all around. Leave alone the festivals, there are also Sakura themed products selling in all supermarkets!
Some of them include; sakura chu-hai (sweet alcoholic canned drinks), sakura dumplings, sakura KitKats, sakura beer, sakura crisps and even a sakura-flavoured Starbucks latte!
Source: Google Images
As Japan welcomes its famous Sakura blossoms, we can never forget the traditions. Today over 200 different species of Cherry blossoms bloom during Spring every year. They continue to bring communities together year after year to celebrate the most beloved flower.
