CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON

Cherry blossoms, also known as Sakura flowers, bloom as early as January in Okinawa and last until May in Hokkaido. However, the peak season for cherry blossoms in Japan is generally towards the end of March or the beginning of April. So, for anyone considering a trip to Japan, now could be the best time to go.

Every spring, the Hanami festival, Japan's most famous traditional flower viewing event, takes place around the final two weeks of March and early April. This is a large celebration with a long history that is considered a Japanese national holiday.

At this time of year, cherry blossoms bloom all throughout Japan at the same time and die after a week. As a result, Japanese residents and visitors from all over the globe travel to key parks such as Matsumae Park in Hokkaido, Ueno-onshi-koen Park in Tokyo, Maruyama Park in Kyoto, Osaka Castle Park in Osaka, and many hilly regions where this flower may be enjoyed.

The Hanami festival is also a time when Japanese people take time off from work to attend festivities. They threw an outside party, drank sake, ate sakura cake, sang, swapped gifts, spoke all night, and didn't forget to snap photographs in front of the flowering cherry blossoms. The Japanese also believe that if a flower petal falls into someone's sake cup, that person will be lucky for the rest of the year.

If you visit Japan around this time, you may participate in the Hanami holiday anywhere there are pink, white, and crimson cherry blossoms. The Japanese Hanami event is comparable to the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

Cherry blossoms (sakura) have become the emblem of Japan, alongside Mount Fuji. A cherry blossom is compared to a samurai's life. Flowers blossom and fade, yet when they fall to the ground, they are still fragrant and fresh. When the Japanese samurai world viewed the flower life as well as the samurai's way of life, he might sacrifice himself with a serene and sweet smile, like a cherry blossom abandoning its branch to the soil, when needed.

Let's admire the beautiful scenery of Japan during cherry blossom season: