Watching cherry blossoms in early spring

Hundreds of trees with pink cherry blossoms are the most common image seen in Japan. This amazing image is called “Hanami” and is known as the biggest festival in Japan. At first, looking at cherry blossoms may not seem very attractive, but when the opening of millions of pink blossoms turns into a big celebration with a special ritual, it can be placed among the tourist attractions of Japan. On this occasion, here we want to talk about the meaning, ritual and history of Hanami Cherry blossom festival in Japan talk.

What is Hanami?

Japan is known all over the world for its cherry blossom festivals. These celebrations are known as Hanami in Japanese and are held as an important ritual in spring in most parts of the country. Of course, don't expect to see cherry blossoms and hold hanami in all Japanese cities, but Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are undoubtedly the main hosts of hanami in Japan. If you plan to travel to this country in spring, be sure to participate in the cherry blossom festival in Japan.

Hanami is an ancient Japanese tradition held to enjoy the blooming of cherry blossoms (sakura) and sometimes plum blossoms in parks and throughout the Japanese countryside. The most popular type of Japanese cherry tree is called sakura and can be seen in most parts of Japan.

The word hanami means “viewing flowers”, but it is generally said to see or observe cherry blossoms. The origin of Hanami dates back to more than 1000 years ago when nobles enjoyed seeing the beautiful cherry blossoms and inspired them to sing love poems.

Today, this colorful festival has become one of the most famous tourist attractions in Japan, along with historical temples and natural scenery.

Cherry blossom festival or Hanami

In most parts of the world, the beginning of spring is an excuse to hold happy and diverse festivals. Japan also welcomes this green season by celebrating cherry blossoms or hanami. Hanami means looking at flowers, the name given by the Japanese to the celebration and it is celebrated with various traditional rituals and ceremonies. During the celebration, the alleys, parks and streets are covered with pink flowers and create dreamlike images. These views are so magnificent that they impress every viewer. But in the meantime, this sakura is a kind of cherry tree in Japan that is the most noticed and its beauty can be considered the reason for holding this big festival. In the following, we will learn about the history of Hanami or the Japanese cherry blossom festival.

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History of cherry blossom festival

Hanami festival has a history of thousands of years. This celebration can be seen as the effect of the power of nature on the human mind. Thousands of years ago, the opening of pink blossoms in Japan so impressed the minds that even the nobles and nobles were amazed and made them watch the magic of nature. Poets wrote haiku poems describing cherry and plum blossoms and people sang them aloud. In this way, singing and watching the blossoms gradually became a tradition and today it is known as the biggest annual festival in Japan. The interesting thing is that the opening of pink blossoms does not belong to a specific city or region, but all over Japan is decorated with trees and blossoms upon entering the spring season. But Tokyo, the capital of this country, can be considered the best place to watch the hanami ceremony or cherry blossoms.

Etiquette of attending the cherry blossom festival Japanese Hanami

In the past, the cherry blossom festival in Japan was reserved for the nobility, but today, people all over Japan are the main members of the festival and celebrate Hanami. In this regard, tourists can also join the Japanese people and participate in the celebration without any special conditions. In hanami, Japanese people sit under the cherry blossoms, eat homemade food and enjoy drinking attractive fruit juices. Of course, deli stalls also offer delicious Japanese street food to tourists. Since thousands of people flock to the parks during Hanami, many people go to the park and other beautiful areas of their residence early in the morning or even a day in advance to reserve a better place.

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The meaning and importance of cherry blossoms in Japan

mono no aware, “Nothing lasts forever!” This short Japanese sentence has become the motto of the cherry blossom festival in Japan. A celebration that shows that the beauty of everything is unstable and temporary even if it is at the peak of glory and attention. Cherry blossoms convey exactly this concept with their two-week lifespan. The beauty of these trees was noticed in the 18th century, and since then, every year with the arrival of spring, the growth of these blossoms is celebrated as a sign of life and temporary beauty in Japan. Cherry blossoms are also known as a symbol of Japan. There is a small hint of pink cherry trees in illustrations, paintings, writing decorations, postcards and even tattoos. All these things can be seen as a sign of the importance of the Japanese Hanami celebration.

Sakura; Cherry blossom trees

The Japanese call cherry trees Sakura (桜 サクラ Sakura). The beautiful sound and meaning of Sakura has become a reason for many to use this name to name their daughters. These very beautiful flowers bloom in the months of Farudin and May and bring Japan to its peak of beauty. Sakura trees grow naturally in many parts of Japan. But most ornamental trees are grown with pink blossoms and are ready for spring celebration. Unlike sakura, these ornamental trees remain only in bloom and do not turn into cherries. In fact, as their name suggests, they are only decorative.

You may be interested to know that the speed of movement of blossoms from the south to the north of Japan is 20 to 25 kilometers per day. As spring approaches, the Japanese estimate the opening line of the blossoms and announce the time of the great Hanami celebration.

Celebration rituals Hanami

Hundreds of years ago, cherry blossom festivals were held very magnificently and as they say royally, street parades, music and local dances were part of the celebration, although today many of the rituals have been lost, but still holding the festival is very important for the Japanese. and draws many tourists to different cities of Japan. Japanese people prepare themselves for the cherry blossom festival by buying food and clothes a few days in advance. On the day of the festival, parks, gardens and green spaces in Japanese cities host people who welcome the spring festival with special foods and festivities.

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The best places to celebrate cherry blossoms in Japan

The cherry blossom festival in Japan is held in different regions of the country. Most of these regions hold the festival between the months of January, February and June. However, the date of the festival is usually determined according to the time taken to predict the opening of the cherry blossoms and varies from year to year. In the following, we introduce the best places to hold the Hanami festival:

Ueno Park in Tokyo

Tokyo, as the capital of Japan, is one of the main cities for celebrating cherry blossoms. With more than 1,000 cherry blossom trees, Tokyo's Ueno Park is a place that gathers Tokyo residents in spring to see the pink blossoms.

Philosophers Walk in Kyoto

The presence of sakura trees has made the walking path in Kyoto one of the main places to celebrate cherry blossoms in Japan. The cherry trees of this path usually bloom in April and attract Kyoto residents and tourists to celebrate.

Mount Yoshino in Nara City

If you are staying in Narai, Japan, you can go to Mt. Yoshino to see the cherry blossoms. This mountain has more than 30 thousand cherry trees. The way to reach the mountain is very easy and tourists can use the cable car to climb.

Osaka city parks

Osaka is another dreamy place in Japan that hosts thousands of cherry trees. The parks of this city are the best place to see cherry blossoms and celebrate Hanami in spring.

The important thing is that you can buy a tour of Japan in the spring season to see the cherry blossoms and attend the Hanami festival. Our Japan tours include stays in the cities of Tokyo and Osaka and are planned according to when the blossoms open. You can also see the Japan tour price list on the Japan tours page.

The time of cherry blossom festival in Japan

The exact day of the cherry blossom festival is announced by the Japanese government every year. But it is possible that its approximate date is between March and April. But another important question is which are the best cities to celebrate? In response, we can say that the city of Tokyo with 1000 cherry trees or sakura, the city of Kyoto which has several beautiful and green parks, the park and castle of Hirosaki and almost other big and small cities of Japan hold the cherry blossom festival. So wherever you are as a tourist in Japan, you can go to gardens and parks with local people and watch the cherry blossoms.

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Festive foods Hanami

One of the characteristics of the cherry blossom festival is the special foods that are cooked for this festival. The basket of onigiri (rice dumplings) and sakuramochi (Sakuramochi), which is a kind of sweet rice cake, are special dishes of the cherry blossom festival. These foods are usually cooked at home and served in nature during the festival days, but tourists or people who don't have enough time to cook can buy special foods from delicatessens or restaurants.

Hanami festival dos and don'ts

• Watch out for the trees. Do not pull or shake branches, do not pick flowers, do not climb trees and do not sit on tree roots.
• Avoid littering in public parks or gardens. Note that some parks do not have trash cans. So always take a bag with you to the plain and garbage outside.
• Rules vary from park to park. Many parks do not allow barbecues. Some of them are closed in the evenings. So check local laws and respect them.

Final word: Some interesting facts about Japan's cherry blossom festival

• It is definitely interesting for you to know that cherry trees in Japan are only decorative and beautiful and never turn into cherry fruit.
• According to most Japanese customs, during the cherry blossom festival in Japan, they cook home-made food and serve it in the shade of trees.
• Some cherry trees in Japan are more than 1000 to 1500 years old.
• The flowers of cherry trees are edible in Japan and they are used to prepare various drinks.
• There are more than 600 different species of cherry trees in Japan.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is Hanami in Japan?

In Japan, the ancient tradition of enjoying the beautiful, short-lived cherry blossoms is called hanami, which literally means flower viewing..

What is the difference between hanami and sakura?

Sakura means cherry blossom and hanami means watching the flower blossom. Hanami is divided into two words – hana meaning “flower” and mi It means “observation“.

Why do Japanese people celebrate Hanami?

Hanami is centuries old in Japanese culture. This old tradition is a symbol of welcoming spring and appreciating the beauty of nature.