Japan History and Culture

Hanami is translated literally as “flower blooming”, but for the Japanese, it entails mainly the viewing of cherry blossoms. No matter the specific species of cherry trees, they are normally organized and clustered together in parks, temples, shrines, and other viewing areas. Doing so allows for a greater enhancement of cherry blossom viewing and festival activities. All across Japan, there are numerous parks and recreational areas that have cherry trees just for the festival. A majority of these parks are free to enter and activities to do inside the recreational areas are about the only costs involved with the viewing. This allows for the enjoyment of the Hanami by all walks of life.

During the festival, Japanese people will have a picnic under the blooming cherry blossoms. Hanami has been carried out for centuries and has become extremely popular. Overcrowding can become a problem in the best locations of cherry blossoms. Therefore, reservations are not uncommon during the Hanami festival. These are made well in advance of the festival and people must arrive early in the morning on the days of the festival just to guarantee a decent spot.

One of the interesting aspects of the Hanami festival is the cherry trees themselves. In all, there are over one hundred species of trees and vary by the number of pedals, color of the blossoms, leaves, time of blooming, and tree formation. Just as varied as the species are for the trees, opinions and reasons for the Hanami vary for every person in Japan.

The festival is extremely unique to Japan as other countries do not enjoy the cherry blossoms in manner as the Japanese.  For some Japanese, the festival represents an opportunity to see friends and family.  For others, it stands for relaxation or a chance to sip a few drinks.  Interestingly enough, it is not illegal for people to drink alcohol in the parks during the Hanami festival