The countdown to spring is finally over! Actually, the countdown ended about two weeks ago… I’ve been looking forward to this season since I arrived in Japan. It’s nice that the weather is starting to warm up, but it’s still chilly outside that I still have to carry a jacket around with me. According to many locals, it’s been a very cold spring season.
What excites me so much about spring time in Japan is the cherry blossoms (sakura)! This is what I’ve been looking forward to since my arrival in Japan. I can’t simply help but appreciate the beauty of these flowers. The sad thing about these beauties is that they are so short-lived. The fully bloomed blossoms only last about a week or two.
A yearly Japanese tradition in the spring is to have a cherry blossom viewing party, which is commonly known as a hanami party. This usually takes place in the end of March or the beginning of April when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Hanami literally translates as “flower viewing.” A lot of people gather at a park for a picnic and spend the entire day enjoying the transient beauty of the cherry blossoms. Yesterday was my first hanami experience and it was surely a lot of fun. I went with some of my friends who work in the same company and we hung out with lots of foreigners and locals while pigging out on food and drinking. Of course at these hanami parties, don’t be surprised to see a whole bunch of drunkards wandering around! This is very much expected since drinking in public is legal. 🙂
allaboutevey 