When in full floral arrray, the cherry blossom tree is simply stunning. Its pink-hued flowers have virtually no scent, but they are beautiful flowering trees with a full, riotous bloom. Japan has thousands of cherry blossoms and when they bloom, families and friends gather to enjoy the flowers, with festivals and festivities, participating in hanami (flower viewing), the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers.
The cherry blossom tree has been a significant part of Japanese culture for centuries. It represents the fragility and beauty of life, and that it is but a short period of time. The cherry blossom trees, which bloom in splendid force for only a short time each year are a visual reminder of how beautiful, precious but precarious life is.
Bloom dates vary, depending where in the country you are. Most major cities, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, welcome their season in early April. In the north, the bloom is as late as May, while in the subtropical islands of Okinawa, cherry blossoms open as early as January. The dates vary annually too, depending on the weather, which is why the cherry blossom forecast (sakura-zensen), announced every year by the weather bureau, is watched carefully by those planning hanami, keen to make the most of the short bloom period of the cherry blossom tree. Cherry blossoms have an ethereal, delicate beauty, and the sakura petals glide gently to the ground once bloomed, like snowflakes blowing in a gentle breeze.
A popular Japanese anime “One Piece” tells a story of a thief who discovered he had an incurable heart disease and was left full of despair and rage. While in the mountains, he happened upon sakura for the first time and its beauty inspired such elation, he was instantly cured. His life mission became to heal the hearts of a nation in crisis, believing the sight of the sakura would save the kingdom.
Although the heart-healing sakura rarely bears fruit, the cherry has long been associated with Venus in Western culture, and the cherry is synonymous with romance and love. The cherry tree is a symbol of the Japanese goddess Konohana-sakuya Hime, considered the divine foremother of the human race, and it’s possible to connect with this goddess using a simple Japanese spell: tie a single strand of your hair to a blossoming cherry tree to find love.
Visit Japan’s National Tourism Organization website to follow the cherry blossom front and join the hanami. Under the sakura, love is sure to blossom.
