Saaakura, Saakura.. la la la la la la la la

Each year, the 桜前線 (Cherry blossom front) predicts when the Sakura (cherry blossoms) will bloom in Japan. At the end of January or February they bloom in Okinawa, make their up to Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or beginning of April and finish up in Hokkaido in mid May. Why all the predicting? Sakura trees are carefully planted in parks, in front of business and schools, at Mt. Fuji view points, along highways and all over Japan. Except for one week out of the year, these trees don’t stand out from the other trees, but when it’s Sakura week, they might as well be made of diamonds. Every millimeter of the dark brown tree branches are coated with thick white and pink flowers. Their strong healthy color punctures into the spring’s clear blue sky and when the sun hits they in the right way the seem to glow. They gloriously explode for a short time and then over several days slowly float in the ground piece by piece in a shower of petals. Short and sweet, just like that.

In every city and municipality there is a park that that seems to be underutilized until Cherry blossom time. When those long anticipated flowers appear, everyone flocks to set up a blue tarp under the trees and drink asahi super dry and snack on delicious deep fried festival food (okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakisoba, kakitori). 花見, hanami, (literally, “watching flowers”) is the name for this custom. In Japan, April marks the beginning of a new year in some respects as the school year begins and new employees enter companies. A welcome party on the grass under a flowery canopy isn’t a bad way to meet your new classmates or colleagues. I did hanami with my English club at my high school and also had a special hanami school lunch with one of my elementary schools in our parking lot. (It was lovely attempting to chat with the new first graders who’s kid speak isn’t really any recognizable language.)

However, it’s too bad that people don’t flock to the park on every single nice day to hang out and get loaded, but given the meaning of sakura to the Japanese the view of life, it seems appropriate. Everything is fleeting and nature’s decisions must be accepted and appreciated. But does that really mean that except for one weekend a year, it’s better to spend your weekends working and running club activities rather than partying in the sunshine? I don’t know about that…

This year, I got to experience Sakura, not once or twice, but three times. My parents came to visit from at the end of March and we visited Tokyo and Kyoto where luckily, sakura were in full bloom! (満開！！！) Every single blossom has its 15 seconds of fame with a camera phone, as year after year, people get the close up shot. A close up shot of a cluster of blossoms in front of a heavenly array of more and more, and maybe a pond, bridge, shrine or large mountain in the background to complete it. But really, there are lots of different styles.. I experimented with the sweeping views, the abstract shots, the portraits.. oh the possibilities.

Classic Shot in Tokyo

Samuari Joe in Ueno Park

juria chan in Ueno Park

Kyomizu dera in Kyoto

In Sakata, nearing their end

this is so retro I think

Sakata is so beautiful