Hanami
hanami 花見 flower viewing japanese traditional custom enjoying transient beauty flower flower 花 hana case almost always refer cherry 桜 sakura less frequently plum 梅 ume tree end march early may cherry tree bloom japan around second week january island okinawa blossom forecast 桜前線 sakurazensen cherry blossom front announced year japan meteorological agency watched carefully planning hanami blossom last week two modernday japan hanami mostly consists outdoor party beneath sakura daytime night context sinojapanese term kanō 観桜 viewcherry used instead particularly festival hanami night called yozakura 夜桜 night sakura many place ueno park temporary paper lantern hung purpose yozakura island okinawa decorative electric lantern hung tree evening enjoyment tree ascending mt yae near motobu town nakijin castle ancient form hanami also exists japan enjoying plum blossom instead narrowly referred umemi 梅見 plumviewing kind hanami popular among older people calmer sakura party usually involve younger people sometimes crowded noisy practice hanami many century old custom said started nara period – plum ume blossom people admired beginning japanese practice hanami originated chinese custom enjoying poetry wine underneath plum blossom tree viewing flower replicated japanese elite supported fact hanami started urban area rather rural area japanese people initially admired plum blossom like chinese rather cherry blossom classic japanese poetry associate cherry blossom merriness heian period – cherry blossom sakura came attract attention plum blossom hanami synonymous sakura waka haiku flower meant sakura historical text nihon kōki documented first observation sakura bloom year observed recorded next twelve century hanami first used term analogous cherry blossom viewing heian era novel tale genji although wisteria viewing party also described term hanami flower party subsequently used reference cherry blossom viewing sakura originally used divine year harvest well announce riceplanting season people believed kami inside tree made offering afterwards partook offering sake emperor saga heian period adopted practice held flowerviewing party sake feast underneath blossoming bough sakura tree imperial court kyoto poem would written praising delicate flower seen metaphor life luminous beautiful yet fleeting ephemeral said origin hanami japan custom originally limited elite imperial court soon spread samurai society edo period common people well tokugawa yoshimune planted area cherry blossom tree encourage sakura tree people lunch drank sake cheerful feast since book written heian period mention weeping cherry しだり櫻 shidarizakura one cultivar pendulous branch considered prunus itosakura pendula sidarezakura oldest cultivar japan kamakura period population increased southern kanto region oshima cherry originated izu oshima island brought honshu cultivated brought capital kyoto muromachi period satozakura group born complex interspecific hybrid based oshima cherry began appear prunus itosakura syn prunus subhirtella edo higan wild specie grows slowly longest life span among cherry tree easy grow large tree reason many large longlived tree specie japan cherry tree often regarded sacred become landmark symbolizes shinto shrine buddhist temple local area famous example include jindaizakura year old usuzumizakura year old daigozakura year old edo period various doubleflowered cultivar produced planted bank river buddhist temple shinto shrine daimyo garden urban area edo common people living urban area could enjoy book period recorded variety cherry blossom mentioned many variety cherry blossom currently known kanzan however situation limited urban area main object hanami across country wild specie prunus jamasakura yamazakura oshima cherry widely distributed country since meiji period japan modernized yoshino cherry spread throughout japan object hanami japanese people changed yoshino cherry hand various cultivar yoshino cherry cut one another due rapid modernization city reclamation waterway demolition daimyo garden gardener takagi magoemon village mayor kohoku village shimizu kengo worried situation saved danger extinction making row cherry tree composed various cultivar arakawa river bank kyoto sano toemon xiv gardener collected various cultivar propagated world war ii cultivar inherited national institute genetics tama forest science garden flower association japan onwards various cultivar used hanami teasing proverb dumpling rather flower 花より団子 hana yori dango hint real priority cherry blossom viewer meaning people interested food drink accompanying hanami party actually viewing flower dead body buried cherry tree popular saying hanami opening sentence short story cherry tree motojirō kajii japanese people continue tradition hanami gathering great number wherever flowering tree found thousand people fill park hold feast flowering tree sometimes party go late night half japan cherry blossoming day come time beginning school work vacation welcoming party often opened hanami usually people go park keep best place celebrate hanami friend family company coworkers many hour even day city like tokyo also common celebration sakura night hanami night called yozakura 夜桜 night sakura many place ueno park temporary paper lantern hung yozakura cherry blossom front forecast year previously japan meteorological agency private agency watched attention plan celebrate hanami blossom last little time usually two week first cherry blossom happen subtropical southern island okinawa northern island hokkaido bloom much later large city like tokyo kyoto osaka cherry blossom season normally take place around end march beginning april television newspaper closely follow cherry blossom front slowly move south north blossom scheduled open fukuoka march kyoto march tokyo march sapporo may hanami celebration usually involve eating drinking playing listening music special dish prepared eaten occasion like dango bento sake commonly drunk part festivity traditional cherry blossom season event canceled tourist come japan due covid pandemic peak bloom day kyoto march earliest since recordtracking began peak bloom trending earlier since example season creep caused climate change similar celebration take place taiwan korea philippine china united state united state hanami also become popular japan gave sakura tree gift united state celebrate nation friendship tree planted washington dc another tree donated sakura tree continue popular tourist attraction every year national cherry blossom festival take place bloom early spring macon georgia another cherry blossom festival called international cherry blossom festival celebrated every spring macon known cherry blossom capital world sakura tree grow brooklyn new york annual sakura matsuri cherry blossom festival take place may brooklyn botanic garden festivity celebrated since one garden famous attraction similar celebration also held philadelphia place united state another popular collection sakura united state newark new jersey branch brook park whose cherry tree variety attract visitor day annual cherry blossom festival canada toronto canada hanami celebrated many park city late april due city cold climate around yoshino sakura tree donated city symbol international friendship good descendant japanese immigrant high park home extensive cherry tree collection city close street auto traffic better allow sakura viewing week peak bloom vancouver cherry blossom tree different variety queen elizabeth park popular spot view cherry blossom tree hanami also celebrated several european country example finland people gather celebrate hanami helsinki roihuvuori local japanese people company donated cherry tree planted kirsikkapuisto cherry tree usually bloom midmay rome italy hanami celebrated lot cherry tree donated japan stockholm annual festivity kungsträdgården lot people celebrate hanami paris several stunning display cherry blossom tree trocadero garden jardin de plantes parc de sceaux many spot covid pandemic england national trust initiated blossomwatch campaign inspired japanese cherry blossom festival encouraged people share image first flower lockdown walk sakuramochi sakurayu sakura cheese hana wa sakuragi hito wa bushi momijigari autumn leaf viewing tsukimi moon viewing fuji matsuri prunus cherry tree park subaru cherry blossom festival greater philadelphia list award garden merit flowering cherry medium related hanami wikimedia common hanami philadelphia information subaru cherry blossom festival greater philadelphia archived wayback machine hanami documentary produced oregon field guide kyotoview — hanami kyoto cherry blossom forecast yearly map blossom japan