Spring is here! Who gets excited for the Sakura (Cherry Blossom in Japanese) season? I do! As I grew up in Japan, it is a special feeling to walk though the pink blossoms on the road in Spring. The new school season begins and also those fresh graduates from college start working for a new job in early April, in Japan. After finishing 16 years of competitive education, young adults finally start enjoying “life”! Cherry blossoms represent an icon of celebrating the new beginning of the year! Many people enjoy Sakura watching and some groups have picnics under the cherry trees during the peak of blooming weeks (usually in mid-March and early April), depending upon locations and breeds of the cherry tree.
Here are 5 ways to enjoy Sakura so you can try these new ways this Spring if you have not tried them yet.
1. Visit Temple, Castle and Park – Power Spot
There are many cherry trees on streets but one of the best places to see them are at the temples, shrines, castles and parks. Japanese love to visit “Power Spots”. They believe that we can calm our mind from busy our lives and can be healing, and those holy places can help us recharge our energy and good spirit by visiting power spots. Usually temples and castles select certain breeds of cherry trees for their landscaping. Please read some of the different breeds of Sakura in #5 below.
2. Go to Riverside, or Countryside, and Sip Sakura Tea
Other great areas to view cherry blossoms are by the riverside and countryside. It would be a perfect getaway date course. It would be even more romantic to sip tea with blossoms inside, along with the wonderful aroma of tea.
3. Enjoy Sakura Mochi, Sweet Treats
This is a spring season treat in Japan called, Sakura Mochi. It is not the same as an ice cream Mochi as well known in America, but it is a pink-dyed, sticky sweet rice covered on sweetened Azuki red beans, wrapped with a pickled shiso leaf. It is 微妙な味 biome na aji, it means subtle yet intricate delicacy taste, when you take a bite of that combination, together. It is a very traditional Spring treat in Japan. It goes very well with green tea and matcha tea and is often used in tea ceremonies in Spring time. Some enjoy eating sakura mochi under the cherry trees as well.
4. Yozakura : Night Sakura Watching
Some parks and temples are open in the evening to welcome visitors by spotlighting cherry trees and buildings at night, during the cherry blossom seasons. It is so romantic to walk though lit up trees and blossoms, that it is magical and different from the daylight. Some people party with alcohol under the tree, but there are some other non-alcoholic delicious sparkling juices that you can enjoy.
5. Yaezakura (multi petaled Sakura) VS Somei Yoshino (standard 5 petals)
Sakura seems all pink and the same but there are more than 20 different subspecies around. But it is easy to tell the common sakura is well known as Somei Yoshino, pink and standard single layer 5 flower petals. Other ones are multi layered petaled blossom called Yaezaura, 八重桜, it writes 8 layered Sakura. It’s not actually 8 petals but there are many layers in one blossom varied by different subspecies. One rare species has 300 petals in one blossom. I have not seen those in my life yet, but it sounds incredible. Many yaezakura bloom 1-2 weeks later than somei yoshino and it tends to last a little longer since it has volume in petals. The Japanese flower language (the meaning of the flower) of yaezakura means, rich in knowledge or wealth in education. Sakura’s flower meaning is ”Spiritual Beauty”, “Beautiful Women” or “Purity”. I can see how people are attracted to such beautiful cherry blossoms and enjoy visiting many places that have long lines of cherry trees not only in Japan, but also all over the world to celebrate the joy of spring!