Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms are Japan’s unofficial national flower. The trees aren’t unique to Japan but it’s celebrated here with great adoration and have evolved with the lifestyle of the Japanese.

The first reference to cherry blossoms is found in a book that dates back to the early 8th century where it mentions a god so beautiful but its existence ephemeral. The fleeting nature of cherry blossoms is true to this day as the full blossoms last about a week and a windy day will blow the petals off in an experience known as sakura-fubuki (桜吹雪).

Later in the 8th century, it was mentioned in a different book where it named the Cherry blossom trees as sacred because the blossoms coincided with the rice planting season; a staple in Japanese cuisine. Farmers at the time welcomed the gods with libations and food because it was believed that the gods were descending from the mountains to bless their farm land. By the late 9th century, viewing parties or hanami (花見) under the blossoming trees were enjoyed by the Imperial Court and the elite. It took a few more years until the Kamakura period (1185–1333) for commoners to be given access to such recreational and entertaining activities.

There are many varieties of cherry blossoms but the Somei-yoshino (ソメイヨシノ) variety, a hybrid between Oshima zakura (大島桜) and Edo higan sakura (江戸彼岸桜) is the most numerous and popular. The flowers blossom before the leaves, creating clouds of flowers throughout the city. On a clear day, they look pale pink but on a cloudy day, they appear more white. They’re generally fully blossomed for about a week, unless there is a cold front which will extend the blossoms for a couple more days. Eventually the petals flutter to the ground and the leaves start to grow; preparing us for the rainy season and the summer heat.

Due to their unpredictable nature, it’s pretty difficult to plan a trip to coincide with the the cherry blossom season. This guide may provide some idea of when to plan a trip; they do a great job updating information every season.

If you’ve missed the Someiyoshino, you can travel north east or to higher elevation to try to catch the someiyoshino season there. Or you can see the Yae-zakura (八重桜); a late blooming sakura that have multi-layered petals.

Japan has gifted cherry blossoms to many cities across the globe including Washington DC for which the United States returned in kind by gifting Dogwood to Japan.