Cherry Blossoms  -  A 1000-Year-Old Tradition in Japanese Culture

From time immemorial, the Japanese have praised the beauty of the cherry blossom, or sakura, as they call it. Its delicate petals are so beloved that the cherry blossom has become the most famous flower, occupying a prominent place in the history and culture of the country. In fact, in some contexts, the word "flower" in Japanese has become synonymous with sakura. Cherry blossoms have delighted the Japanese for over a thousand years.

Lots of cherries adorn the islands of the Japanese archipelago. You don't have to go too far to see one of the approximately 300 varieties of cherries growing here. A flower usually has five petals, with lacy edges, but there are also varieties with several petals. The flowers are grouped in bundles. The color of the petals varies from an almost pure white to pink, even to bright red, with all the intermediate shades. The shape and color of these inflorescences have symbolized purity and simplicity since ancient times.

A cherry blossom is sure to catch your eye. When you see him bathed in the gentle rays of the sun shining through the clouds, you get the impression that his delicate petals radiate a white-pink light. And in front of a cherry orchard, you are simply speechless.

A wonderful view

The Yoshino Mountains have long been famous for the white-flowered cherries that grow here. There are four large orchards with over 100,000 cherries. An orchard is called Hitome Senbon, meaning "a thousand cherries at a glance." As far as the eye can see, white flowers give a glow to the surrounding hills, giving the impression that a thick carpet of snow has spread over them. No wonder more than 350,000 people come here every year to see the scenery!

The way cherries are planted can have interesting effects. For example, the parallel rows of cherries whose branches join together form a "cherry tunnel." Imagine stepping on a carpet of petals under a white rose vault of myriad cherry blossoms!

But the delicate flowers do not last long: a maximum of two or three days. Depending on the weather, they fall even faster.

Picnic under the canopy of cherry blossoms

The first to bloom are cherries from the southern Japanese archipelago, specifically those from the islands of Okinawa. They bloom in January. Gradually, the other cherries bloom to the north, the last ones being on the island of Hokkaido, at the end of May.

This phenomenon is also called the cherry blossom front, being somewhat similar to the advance of an atmospheric front. Television, radio, newspapers, and even the Internet regularly announce where this front is. Upon hearing the news that Japanese cherries have blossomed, millions of people flock to the orchards to admire them.

Hanami, which means "admiring flowers," is an ancient custom. And, of course, in this expression, the word "flower" refers to the cherry blossom! From the Heian period (794–1185), the nobility organized parties to admire sakura. In 1598, a military leader named Hideyoshi Toyotomi organized a party at the Daigoji Temple in Kyoto, where guests admired cherry blossoms. All the feudal lords, as well as the distinguished guests, gathered under the flowering trees and recited poems praising the flowers. The women wore elegant garments depicting sakura.

During the Edo period (1603–1867), the common people began to spend their free time in this way, organizing picnics under the blossoming cherries. They ate, drank, sang, and danced while admiring the flowers with their family and friends. The popular Hanami custom has survived to the present day. People go in large numbers to their favorite place to enjoy the richness of the petals in peace.

A leitmotif

Sakura is present in Japanese history and culture, being a leitmotif in literature, poetry, theater, and music. Over the centuries, artists have immortalized the splendor of cherry blossoms on a variety of surfaces, from clay objects to folding screens.

And the samurai took over the sakura motif. Being unreservedly devoted to their master, they were expected to be ready at any moment to sacrifice their lives for their master. The samurai considered the cherry blossoms a symbol of the temporality of life. Here is what the Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan says: "Because cherry blossoms open very quickly and their petals fall off just as quickly, they have become a fitting symbol of the kind of beauty the Japanese admire, in other words. of ephemeral beauty. "

The admiration of an entire nation for sakura still lingers today. Beautiful kimonos often have cherry blossom prints. The sakura pattern can also be found on household items, scarves, and clothing. This flower is so beloved that the parents proudly give their beautiful little girls the name Sakura, in honor of the cherry blossom.

Although delicate, sakura had the power to influence the culture of a nation. The cherry blossom remains, therefore, a remarkable example of the delicate beauty that we find in the wonderful works that surround us.