Convergence V34_March-April2016

Special Feature
“Hanami”
Hanami or ‘flower viewing’ is a Japanese traditional custom
where the locals would visit the blossoms or ‘sakura’ trees
with family and friends. You can tell that this is an important
event as even students would take a half or full day off from
school to visit and companies would organise a corporate
picnic under the trees.
Unknown to many, hanami is also celebrated at night where
it is known as yozakura. In most places such as Ueno Park,
Tokyo, temporary paper lanterns are lit up and decorated
around the park in the evening for enjoyment.
For the festival to happen, blossoms are forecasted annually
by the weather bureau as it only lasts about a week or two.
So, if you want to experience hanami, you need to monitor
the forecast closely to better plan your trip. The flowers usually
bloom around end of March to early May and around the first
of February on Okinawa Island; it varies according to location.
Hanami Outside Japan
Hanami celebration is also observed in Taiwan, Korea,
Philippines, China and several European countries, albeit at
a smaller scale.
Back in 1912, Japan presented 3,000 cherry blossoms trees
as a gift to United States to celebrate the nations’ friendship.
The trees were planted in Washington D.C. and had gained
popularity over the years. Now a popular tourist attraction, a
‘National Cherry Blossom Festival’ takes place in Washington
DC each year when the flowers bloom in early spring.
History
The practice of hanami is centuries–old. Cherry
blossoms were initially used as offerings for the
year’s harvest as well as to announce the start of
rice-planting season. Then, offerings of food and
drinks were made to the trees as it was believed
that spirits live within it.
Emperor Saga of the Heian period later adopted
this practice of flower-viewing parties and held
parties with sake and feasts underneath the
blossoming boughs of cherry blossom in the
Imperial Court. Poems were written to praise the
delicate flowers, which were seen as a metaphor
for life where it is luminous and beautiful yet
fleeting. What was originally limited as part of
celebration at the Imperial Court was soon
adopted by the samurai society and the
commoners during the Edo period. It is under
the blooming cherry blossoms that people had
lunch and drank sake in cheerful feasts while
enjoying the view.
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