The cherry blooming season is in full swing and I can't help but share some of the breathtaking pictures I took recently.
Moreover, feel more than welcome to learn about the mysterious ways of Hanami (in Japanese it stands for flower viewing) and the evolution of the sakura tradition.
Moreover, feel more than welcome to learn about the mysterious ways of Hanami (in Japanese it stands for flower viewing) and the evolution of the sakura tradition.
From the sakura celebrations of the Japanese upper-class during the Heian Period to the sakura fever that struck the commoners of the Edo Period, here comes the magic of cherry blooming...
For the Japanese, Hanami (花見 or flower viewing) is a metaphor for life.
Motoori Norinaga, a noted Japanese poet, went even further, exclaiming:
"If I were asked to explain the Japanese spirit, I would say it is wild cherry blossoms glowing in the morning sun!"
The ancient Japanese thought that cherry blooming adds another dimension to beauty..
.. and that's why sakura — or cherry blossom — has become synonymous with Hanami (flower viewing). High praise, indeed.
The sakura tradition originates from the Heian Period (794-1185)..
.. and since then, it has embodied the values and virtues of the Japanese spirit.
For a long time, it was only the upper classes..
.. in a strictly feudal society with virtually non-existent social mobility that got to enjoy the beauty of sakura..
.. but from the Edo Period (1615-1868) onwards..
.. mostly everyone in the Japanese society received their fair share of hanami love.
“The cherries’ only fault: the crowds that gather when they bloom”
But these words of truth, spoken by Saigyo, 12th-century poet, suggest that the sakura craze was taking over the Japanese society even earlier.
Cherry blooming — symbolizing both the ephemerality and beauty of life
Stay tuned, people, for more pictures, more info and more beauty is coming your way with the final part of my cherry blooming obsession.
For the first part of the article, come this way.