Celebrating the sakura in Japan
by Stephanie Boegeman

When winter hits northern Japan, it comes hard and fast. For months on end, people navigate snowy roads, dodge plummeting icicles and huddle by heaters. But each year at the beginning of May, our gaze turns upwards, searching bare tree branches for the hints of pink which foretell the coming of the sakura, or cherry blossoms, and the arrival of spring.

Hanami, the festival celebrating the blooming of the sakura, coincides with other important yearly events. Residents in southwestern Japan celebrate hanami along with the start of the new school year. The coming of spring also marks the start of the fiscal year. The sakura in northeastern Japan blooms during Buddha's birthday in April, or Golden Week in May.

Wherever you live, it's impossible not to know when the sakura are right around the corner. Sprays of fake cherry blossoms adorn the streets, and store windows are painted with the distinctive petals. Sakura dominate TV and newspaper reports as detailed information is enthusiastically provided on the flowering fronts, which move from south to north across the country. Red and white lanterns are strung up all over town, wherever sakura trees await their cue. The country is riveted, waiting for an answer to the question on everyone's mind: when and where will the first pink blossom appear?

It's hard to believe one small flower can cause such a dizzying array of emotions.

The Samurai Way

The sakura encapsulates the essence of Japanese spirit; its appearance every spring is cause for quiet reflection. The blossom, which appears, flourishes and dies in less than two weeks is a well-worn metaphor for the samurai way, where one lives a brief but magnificent life. Snowy petals falling in the wind remind the Japanese of the beautiful melancholy of a warrior's sacrifice and represent his last gasp before death. This sense of loss is a popular theme in J-pop, with hundreds of moody songs celebrating both love and the sakura. One of the most popular tunes laments, "Every time a cherry blossom petal falls, another untold love is wiped out by tears and smiles." Hanami also touches upon the broader love and reverence Japan has for its four distinct seasons. Family members gather to watch the effervescent blooms float dreamily overhead, ranging in color from deep magenta to a pink so pale the petals blend indistinquishably with the clouds floating above. Entire afternoons are spent languidly admiring the branches, while daydreaming and anticipating the warmth of spring.

Traditional hanami flower-viewing parties at first seem incongruous with this tradition of reverence; anyone who experiences cherry blossom season first hand knows that the arrival of the sakura is anything but peaceful. Japanese poetry and song have testified to this phenomenon for hundreds of years. As 9th century poet Ariwara no Narihira exclaimed, "Without cherry blossoms in the world, how peaceful our minds would be in spring!" Everything grinds to a halt while pink clouds of blossoms erupt in a flurry of color. Row upon row of sakura trees, planted strategically in the most scenic parts of town-temples, riversides, castles, and parks-flaunt themselves in unison.

Carpe Sakura

The true spirit of hanami is less peaceful contemplation, and more about seizing the day. It is the job, nay duty, of hanami viewers to surpass the energy and the vibrancy of the new blooms. Rowdy crowds gather to pickle themselves publicly in beer and sake. The ground becomes a patchwork of blue plastic tarps, as revelers trade food and good spirits.

Shrieks of laughter and chatter roll in waves across the crowd, and everyone enjoys a fine spread of food set out for hanami. Edibles such as grilled squid with mayonnaise, bento boxes, sakura mochi dango, yakitori and edamame adorn the tarps. Performers weave between them, such as a roving shamisen player or a set of spirited taiko drummers. Some revelers take matters into their own hands with karaoke machine at the ready, blasting songs praising the beauty of the sakura. Hanami parties go on long after sunset, with prime sakura specimens lit for night time viewing. The sake flows beneath the stars and the red and white paper lanterns as the party goes late into the night. Every moment counts in this all too transient life.

Details: Country Holidays can get you to see the sakura in Kyoto this April for ￥21,135 per person.


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Where to Throw Your Hanami Party

Whether you're looking for a raucous party or quiet contemplation, here are Japan's top five sakura spots sure to dazzle the eye.
HISTORIC AMBIANCE | Daigoji in Kyoto
Cherry trees surround this beautiful temple complex in Kyoto. Beautiful shades of pink against the Daigoji's Reihokan Hall dials the clock back a thousand years.
Best viewing: Late March, early April.

NOISIEST SPECTACLE | Ueno Park in Tokyo
Over a thousand cherry trees line the streets of this famous park in Tokyo, which fills to the brim with hanami revelers. After you've taken in the sakura, check out the zoos and museums nearby
Best viewing: Early April.

ZEN CONTEMPLATION | Mt. Yoshino in Nara
Find peace of mind at this ancient site of worship. Over 30,000 sakura have been planted at different altitudes, so you can watch the blossoms ascend for weeks.
Best viewing: Mid April.

HIDDEN GEM | Yamadera in Yamagata
Explore remote temples which have been carved into the cliffs by monks, and take in a commanding view of the valley below.
Best viewing: Late April, early May.

MOST ROMANTIC | Samurai houses in Kakunodate
Walk among well-preserved samurai houses in Akita-ken. Weeping cherry trees hang down over the dark wooden buildings, and take you back to the Edo period. Sakura form an archway of blossoms along the nearby riverbank.
Best viewing: Early May.