Spring is fast on its way to Japan and with spring comes a fascination with her flowers. The cherry blossom season is so anticipated that there are even calendars that will tell you when the cherry blossoms will start to bloom.
The best way to celebrate the flowers of spring in Japan is to head out to a local park or garden for a stroll or a picnic - it’s a popular pastime so be prepared for crowds!
Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) has been a Japanese custom since the 7th century when the aristocrats enjoyed looking at beautiful sakura and wrote poems. Sakura is a symbol of Japan, and it's said that there are over four hundred varieties of cherry trees in Japan. The most popular kind of sakura which can be viewed everywhere in Japan is somei-yoshino (Yedoensis). Japanese cherry trees do not yield fruits like other cherry trees.
Hanami and cherry blossom festivals are held all over Japan in spring. In hanami parties, people have fun, drinking, eating, and singing during the day or night. It is like a picnic under sakura trees. Usually, people bring food, do BBQ, or buy food from vendors for hanami parties. Among various food people eat in hanami, dango is the most common. See Japanese food for hanami.
In popular hanami spots, there are even competitions for the best spots. If you do not like a crowd, you can go to mountains or other quiet places for hanami. Stop by any gardens near you. There are sakura trees everywhere in Japan.
Cherry blossoms flower at different times throughout Japan. The cherry blossoms begin blooming in January in Okinawa, and they are at their peak in late March to April in Honshu region. In Hokkaido, cherry blossoms usually become in their peak in May. The blooming period of sakura is very short.
Last year I had some snap shots of sakura flowers. I hope you will enjoy these …
The best way to celebrate the flowers of spring in Japan is to head out to a local park or garden for a stroll or a picnic - it’s a popular pastime so be prepared for crowds!
Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) has been a Japanese custom since the 7th century when the aristocrats enjoyed looking at beautiful sakura and wrote poems. Sakura is a symbol of Japan, and it's said that there are over four hundred varieties of cherry trees in Japan. The most popular kind of sakura which can be viewed everywhere in Japan is somei-yoshino (Yedoensis). Japanese cherry trees do not yield fruits like other cherry trees.
Hanami and cherry blossom festivals are held all over Japan in spring. In hanami parties, people have fun, drinking, eating, and singing during the day or night. It is like a picnic under sakura trees. Usually, people bring food, do BBQ, or buy food from vendors for hanami parties. Among various food people eat in hanami, dango is the most common. See Japanese food for hanami.
In popular hanami spots, there are even competitions for the best spots. If you do not like a crowd, you can go to mountains or other quiet places for hanami. Stop by any gardens near you. There are sakura trees everywhere in Japan.
Cherry blossoms flower at different times throughout Japan. The cherry blossoms begin blooming in January in Okinawa, and they are at their peak in late March to April in Honshu region. In Hokkaido, cherry blossoms usually become in their peak in May. The blooming period of sakura is very short.
Last year I had some snap shots of sakura flowers. I hope you will enjoy these …
beautiful flowers
i'd like to go to japan
it looks like sakura flower in white version.