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Hanami: Japan's Cherry Blossom Tradition

Hanami is the Japanese tradition of enjoying the transient beauty of cherry blossoms. In the spring, from late March to early May, cherry trees bloom across Japan and are watched carefully as the blossoms only last a week or two. Modern hanami typically involves having outdoor parties under the cherry trees during the day or at night, sometimes using paper lanterns after dark. An older form of hanami involves enjoying the beauty of plum blossoms instead of cherry blossoms.

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31 views1 page

Hanami: Japan's Cherry Blossom Tradition

Hanami is the Japanese tradition of enjoying the transient beauty of cherry blossoms. In the spring, from late March to early May, cherry trees bloom across Japan and are watched carefully as the blossoms only last a week or two. Modern hanami typically involves having outdoor parties under the cherry trees during the day or at night, sometimes using paper lanterns after dark. An older form of hanami involves enjoying the beauty of plum blossoms instead of cherry blossoms.

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retno
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© All Rights Reserved
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is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers, flowers are

("hana") in this case almost always referring to those of the cherry ("sakura") or, less
frequently, plum ("ume") trees.

From the end of March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan,[2] and around the first of
February on the island of Okinawa.[3] The blossom forecast (桜前線 sakura-zensen ) "cherry ?

blossom front" is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those
planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two.

In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura
during daytime or at night. In some contexts the Sino-Japanese term kan'ō (観桜 , view-cherry) is
?

used instead, particularly for festivals. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜 ) "night sakura".
?

In many places such as Ueno Park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose
of yozakura. On the island of Okinawa, decorative electric lanterns are hung in the trees for
evening enjoyment, such as on the trees ascending Mt. Yae, near Motobu Town, or at the Nakijin
Castle.
A more ancient form of hanami also exists in Japan, which is enjoying the plum blossoms (
梅 ume) instead, which is narrowly referred to as umemi (梅見 , plum-viewing). This kind
?

of hanami is popular among older people, because they are calmer than the sakura parties,
which usually involve younger people and can sometimes be very crowded and noisy.

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