Cherry Blossom Viewing

It is hard for people who haven't experienced it to fully understand how important the cherry blossom season is to the average Japanese person. Sure, looking at flowers is nice but why all the fuss?

Well as mentioned in the previous post, the winters here are very hard and very grey. With all the concrete Japanese cities are particularly colourless in winter. In the countryside its leafless trees and brown grass, snow in the mountains.

After all this, the cherry blossoms of spring are a truly wonderful and welcome sight. Not all the trees are the same shape or colour and although they are in confined areas like parks in the cities, in the countryside they are everywhere.



The Japanese take the viewing seriously but in a carnival spirit. On the weekends and after work you can see hordes of people picnicking, drinking and having a generally good time amongst the trees.

In some areas many little food stalls are set up and people will spend the whole day merrily eating and drinking and viewing.

On our trip North this time we were lucky enough to see perhaps the most famous tree in Japan.

The "Takizakura" (waterfall cherry blossom tree) in Miharu is one thousand years old and truly a marvel. We had to get there about 7.30 in the morning before the crowds arrived. The tree itself has a trunk about 4 meters in diamete.


Wonderful to think that people have been caring for and admiring this tree for a thousand years.