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Sakura at Ueno Park

Apr 18, 08 Comments

I didn't know what to expect as my first sakura season was coming up. Everyone kept talking about sakura and how beautiful it was, but I had no idea what it really was.

'Sakura' is the name of the Japanese flowering cherry, and their blossoms are commonly called cherry blossoms.

The blossoming begins in Okinawa in January and typically reaches Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April. Japanese pay close attention to these forecasts and turn out in large numbers at parks, shrines, and temples with family and friends to hold flower-viewing parties, also known as 'Hanami'. They celebrate the beauty of the sakura and for many it's a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful view.

Cherry blossoms are believed to exemplify the nature of life, because of their short blooming times. They are richly symbolic, and have been utilized often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film, as well as at musical performances for ambient effect.

Sakura can be found basically anywhere, but there are certain places and parks with many of these trees, which makes them really special. In my case, I went to one of the most popular, Ueno Park. Located in Northern Tokyo, Ueno Park hosts many hanami parties where families and friends gather and have picnics.

The park's roads are surrounded by sakura trees and sometimes, when it's windy, some of the flowers come off and it looks like it's snowy, except instead of snow it's these amazingly soft, pinkish flowers.

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