While there are certainly cherry blossom trees in America (most famously in Washington D.C.), there is nothing quite like the "hanami" tradition in the States.
A "hanami" quite simply means a flower viewing. This tradition, which dates back to the Nara Period, today most often takes the form of an outdoor picnic underneath the trees. Families, friends, or coworkers camp out during the day or at night, crack open the booze, whip out the bento, and enjoy the beauty of the flowers.
Today, the more popular hanami sites in Japan, Ueno Park in Tokyo comes to mind, see thousands upon thousands of visitors during the peak bloom period. As I write this post, the blossoms have already begun to fall around campus. By the end of the week I suspect they will be gone.
There are many varieties of cherry blossom trees in Japan. The most famous type in Japan and America is the Somei-Yoshino. This tree dates back to the Edo Period, and is named after the small town of Yoshino in Nara Prefecture where it was first cultivated.
You can see many pictures of Somei-Yoshino trees below. They appear almost white to the naked eye, with just the slightest hint of pale pink.
Other varieties of sakura include Yama-zakura (wild trees that grow in the mountains), Shidare-zakura (a weeping willow style tree), and Hikan-zakura (trees with large, deep pink blossoms).
The sakura are absolutely beautiful, so what are you waiting for!?
Start your viewing NOW!
B.E.W.
B.E.W.
No comments:
Post a Comment