Sakura
Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom.
Life, Death, and Cherry Blossoms
Click the cherry blossoms!
Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom.
The ancient Japanese believed the sakura trees contained spirits, and made offerings to them with rice wine. This led to the tradition of hanami - a celebration of feasting and drinking amongst the cherry blossoms.
Cherry blossom season is more than just hanami gatherings and beautiful flowers. In Japan, the cherry blossom is a symbol of the fragility and fleeting beauty of life. The trees bloom for a brief time each year, personifying how short and precious our lives are.
View from Yoshino's main viewpointView from Yoshino's main viewpoint This beautiful mountain is covered in over 30,000 cherry trees, it's the most famous sakura viewing spot in Japan and has been for hundreds of years. Truly, a heavenly sight.
Tokyo's Shinjuku Gyoen is home to over one thousand cherry trees of both early- and late-blooming varieties, meaning that the sakura season here lasts longer than elsewhere in the city. Other sakura spots in Tokyo: Imperial Palace Gardens, Hamarikyu Gardens, and Ueno Park.
The park around Hirosaki Castle has over 2,500 cherry trees. They've designed cherry blossom tunnels, evening illuminations, moats that are pink with petals, hanami picnic areas, and rowboats. It is home to the Hirosaki cherry blossom festival between April and May.
