Japanese habits: Hanami
Anyone that ever watched a Japanese movie or cartoon has seen images of those beautiful trees filled with little white flowers. They are cherry blossoms, or in Japanese sakura, and they are an integral part of Japanese culture.
It has been a habit for centuries to sit under the cherry blossom trees during those few days in spring when they bloom. They even have a special word for it: hanami, which literally means cherry blossom viewing. In the most popular cherry blossom areas, such as Sakura-no-miya-koen Park (Osaka), Tokyo Ueno-onshi-koen Park (Tokyo) and Ka-jo Castle Park (Yamagata), people have to reserve their spot in the early morning to make sure they have a place to sit after work.
This year’s season is forecasted to start on March 2nd. Click here to plan your hanami trip for this year!
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