Usually, in Japan, the cherry blossoms signify the coming of Spring, but lately, long after the blossoms have wilted and died, you'd be hard pressed to call the weather here "Spring". It's morning right now, and the sky is blue with promise. Yesterday wasn't the case. The temperature, the wind, the rain, all seem to be fluctuating in a completely unseasonable way. Usually you don't need a jacket by late April in Japan, less it be for nighttime. Certainly it's hard to believe that the cherry blossoms brought anything with them, and in fairness, they should bloom again before the real Spring weather kicks in. Sadly that won't be the case, but it's no big complaint... at the beginning of April I saw the blossoms in all their splendor, and partook in what was my first proper "Hanami" （花見 literally meaning "flower viewing")
While the name implies looking at the flowers, this is nearly beside the point. The cherry blossoms are just there to complete the mood. The REAL goal of "Hanami" is to get drunk and eat a bunch of good food. People sit under the cherry trees and drink; like I've said before, drinking is a major part of any social gathering for Japanese. The significance of cherry blossoms, however, runs deeper in Japanese culture than mere alcohol consumption. Cherry blossoms are a symbol of Japanese culture; in one of the seminars here are school, the professor discussed the birth of Japanese nationalism amidst the threat of imperial predatory powers that were made their ways into Asia from Europe and the United States, and how something like cherry blossoms had little significance, aside from perhaps poetic works, in pre-Meiji Japan. Because the Meiji era created modern nationalism in Japan, cherry blossoms were revered as a cultural icon, and this reverence continues on till this day. Perhaps this is why the Japanese favor Spring so much, as the blossoms only stay on the trees for about one or two weeks depending on the weather. This makes the blossoms a special event in Japan.
The place I went to view the flowers was with the aforementioned seminar professor (same professor that I mentioned in the "konpa" post), his wife, and a Chinese exchange student. The exact location was somewhere on the outskirts of Kobe, and I can't remember the exact name, but it was toward the mountains. It had the retro vibe of old Japan, particularly in the sense of the Westernized architecture. With the cherry blossoms in bloom, it created a sense of nostalgia that can only be accumulated through thorough time spent in Japan. It certainly gave the aura of a Japan that had fully realized its culture. Alongside a river where hundreds of people set up blankets and sat on both sides underneath the cherry trees. We ate the packed lunches, or "obentou" (お弁当, a Japanese packed lunch) that the professor and his wife had so kindly prepared, and enjoyed sipping the imported German beer (okay, it's not Kirin or Asahi, so it may not have been a full-on Japanese cultural drinking experience) and champagne that had been brought in the professor's foreign tastes; however, this is as Japanese as anything else, as the numerous people partaking in "hanami" all had different tastes, some even ordering pizza to be delivered out to where they were sitting by the river (!). As time passed some young Japanese men who were camped out beside us got the urge to come over and give me a serving of Japanese sake. It was at this point that I decided people in Kobe and the Kansai area were some of the friendliest in Japan, and the sake went down smooth. Eventually we packed the aftermath of our "hanami" experience into garbage bags and made our way along the riverbank. From then we hailed a taxi and drove up the mountain to stroll about one of the richest neighborhoods in the greater Osaka area, filled with the homes of business moguls and mob bosses, home designs ranging from the lavishly exquisite to the absurdly decadent (one newly erected home resembled the White House). The cherry blossoms remained prevalent as we descended down the mountain by foot. Taking the train home, it was a thorough experience of Japanese cultural symbolism.
The place I went to view the flowers was with the aforementioned seminar professor (same professor that I mentioned in the "konpa" post), his wife, and a Chinese exchange student. The exact location was somewhere on the outskirts of Kobe, and I can't remember the exact name, but it was toward the mountains. It had the retro vibe of old Japan, particularly in the sense of the Westernized architecture. With the cherry blossoms in bloom, it created a sense of nostalgia that can only be accumulated through thorough time spent in Japan. It certainly gave the aura of a Japan that had fully realized its culture. Alongside a river where hundreds of people set up blankets and sat on both sides underneath the cherry trees. We ate the packed lunches, or "obentou" (お弁当, a Japanese packed lunch) that the professor and his wife had so kindly prepared, and enjoyed sipping the imported German beer (okay, it's not Kirin or Asahi, so it may not have been a full-on Japanese cultural drinking experience) and champagne that had been brought in the professor's foreign tastes; however, this is as Japanese as anything else, as the numerous people partaking in "hanami" all had different tastes, some even ordering pizza to be delivered out to where they were sitting by the river (!). As time passed some young Japanese men who were camped out beside us got the urge to come over and give me a serving of Japanese sake. It was at this point that I decided people in Kobe and the Kansai area were some of the friendliest in Japan, and the sake went down smooth. Eventually we packed the aftermath of our "hanami" experience into garbage bags and made our way along the riverbank. From then we hailed a taxi and drove up the mountain to stroll about one of the richest neighborhoods in the greater Osaka area, filled with the homes of business moguls and mob bosses, home designs ranging from the lavishly exquisite to the absurdly decadent (one newly erected home resembled the White House). The cherry blossoms remained prevalent as we descended down the mountain by foot. Taking the train home, it was a thorough experience of Japanese cultural symbolism.
The cherry blossom viewing of "hanami" remains a distinct cultural event in Japan. There is even an affinity for viewing the flowers at night, probably developed by busy people who were unable to fit it into their daytime schedule (pure speculation on my part, but considering the late hours many Japanese work it wouldn't be too far-fetched). Considering what it requires- beautiful cherry trees in full bloom, good food and drink along with good company- it certainly is one of the most enjoyable cultural features of Japan, and while I had seen the flowers bloom in Japan before, I was lucky enough this time to get the full-on experience. Even if the weather has been crazy lately, the welcoming of Spring with the cherry blossoms more than makes up for the unseasonable climate.
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