Coming Soon to a Park Near Me…

Cherry blossoms!

Yes, it is almost that time of year, when everyone heads out to enjoy the fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms are called “sakura” (桜) in Japanese. I think most people are familiar with the song, “Sakura, sakura…”

I found some cherry blossoms pictures from about year ago on my hard drive, which I hadn’t uploaded yet. You can see them on my Flickr page, or just click on one of the pictures in this post. If you want to learn more about cherry blossom viewing in Japan, please read on…

I’m not sure when they will bloom, but it could be very soon. We’ve had a relatively warm winter, so they should bloom early. In fact, I’ve heard that it has already started in a few areas around Tokyo. The parks and mountains will be crowded with people. They will go during lunch. They will go at night. Sometimes, people will enjoy them alone, but they usually like to have small parties with friends, families, or co-workers. In Japanese, these parties are called, “hanami” (花見). (花, hana, means “flower;” 見, mi, means “look/see.” So hanami literally means, “looking at flowers.”)

Not only is it a wonderful excuse to get out and get some fresh air, but it is an annual rite of passage. Spring begins with the blossoming of plum blossoms (梅), usually mid-to-late February, but it doesn’t really feel like spring until the cherry blossoms bloom.

Why do Japanese love cherry blossoms? Well, I think part of it is just the fact that they are brought up to believe that it is a symbol of Japan (and most people probably never really think much about why)…but in a very real way, it does express something of the Japanese aesthetic of beauty and impermanence. Cherry blossoms bloom and flourish for a very brief moment–perhaps a week or less–before the cruel hands of wind and rain send them plummeting to the dirt. Japanese scholars often point out the strong connection between the transitory beauty of cherry blossoms and mono no aware (物の哀れ), which is usually translated as “the pathos of all things.” In other words, it is the underlying sadness that comes from the enjoyment of beauty that is doomed to fade. It is a very bittersweet realization; we are intoxicated by our enjoyment of beauty, but we are saddened by its untimely and inevitable decline.

The grocery stores and convenience stores are already full of special sakura treats and sweets. Soon, we’ll be able to buy cherry blossom tea, made with cherry blossoms. But just like the delicate blossoms that will soon spring forth from the trees, these seasonal treats will only last for a brief moment before they are gone for another year…