About the Hanami
Japan produces around 200 different varieties of cherry trees, but it is the Somei Yoshino that covers 80% of all public parks in the country.
The pink hue of sakura petals fades to almost white as the flower nears the end of its short life — a quiet reminder of impermanence.
During hanami it is considered impolite to shake the branches or pick the blossoms — the beauty is meant to be observed, not taken.
Hanami has over 1000 years of history. It began in the imperial court of Nara, where plum blossoms, not cherry blossoms, were the first to be celebrated. During the Heian period, the court switched to cherry blossoms (sakura), and the tradition became popular.
Japanese convenience stores release sakura-flavoured beer, chips, and even KitKats every spring .
over 300 limited-edition products hit shelves during bloom season.
"Mono no aware" (物の哀れ) "the pathos of things", is the Japanese philosophical concept that cherry blossoms personify. Beauty demands transience; what is eternal cannot be beautiful in the same way.
In japanese culture,
cherry blossoms represent "mono-no-aware", which translate to "the pathos of all things ".
the flowers brief bloom exemplify the beauty of a translence life.
Cherry blossoms last only 1 to 2 weeks. On days with strong winds or heavy rain, they can fall in just 2 days. This brevity is precisely what makes them so precious and poignant.
Every Somei Yoshino tree is a perfect clone. The most common cherry tree in Japan, the Somei Yoshino, cannot reproduce by seed. Every single tree is propagated by grafting, making the entire population genetically identical. When one blooms, they all bloom at exactly the same time.
Cherry trees need a cold winter to bloom. Scientists warn that rising temperatures are causing the bloom to peak earlier. Kyoto's records show a shift of 6 days earlier since 1950.
of Japanese say hanami is their favourite annual tradition.
cherry tree fruits are harvested from ornamental sakura, they exist purely for beauty.
different words in Japanese to describe stages of cherry blossom.
years old, the oldest known cherry tree in Japan (Yamataka Jindai Zakura).
