THE MAGIC OF HANAMI, THE JAPANESE SPRING

Spring is upon us and for a few days now it has been possible to see the first trees in bloom in some cities in Italy. If the start of the beautiful season here brings a light of hope after these months of lockdown, in Japanese culture Hanami has always had a real cultural value .

The Senso-Ji temple complex, in Tokyo © Yu Kato

In fact, the cherry blossoms are one of the most beautiful moments for the country of the Rising Sun, historically capable of attracting over 10 million tourists a year. Entire corners of Japan are tinged with pink during this particular, brief yet special period of the year : for the Japanese people it is a true national "passion", which began over 1300 years ago and then spread throughout the world, also in recent times in Europe and the United States.

Hanami days in Tokyo © @agathemarty

Sakura, or Hanami season (which in Japanese can be literally translated as "admiring the flowers"), is a spectacular moment to experience by walking through the various Japanese cities and admiring the spectacle of the pink petals of the cherry trees , which line the rivers , canals or ditches and are reflected in the water, to create real enchanted postcards.

Cherry blossoms: Sakura on the Meguro River © @sorasagano

Hanami is synonymous with the hope of future prosperity : a very important symbol of rebirth in the Japanese calendar, which often coincides with the school year of the country's students. These flowers are a symbol of seasonality and a perfect representation of the transience of beauty and, by extension, life.
They have a symbolism connected to that of bushido , the morality and life of the samurai : just as the cherry tree unfolds from small modest flowers, but which together give life to a majestic spectacle, so the samurai with their single soul can constitute an army very strong.

Traditional cherry blossom colors in Japan © @jmeguilos & @evgenylazarenko

The Japanese weather service on television constantly informs the population, predicting precisely when and in which places the flowering will occur and creating a sort of national mobilization in preparation for these celebrations.
Every year, in fact, the cherry blossom days change depending on the seasons , with different dates for each city - statistically starting from the south, in the southern part of the island of Okinawa, concluding in the north, towards Sapporo. In 2021, the first flowering in the big cities is expected to be on March 17th in Tokyo, and then continue in the various Japanese regions (for example last year in Kyoto the date was March 22nd, while in Osaka the first sakura were seen on the 23rd March).

The Japanese flag in Hiroshima, next to some cherry blossom trees © Nathan Boadle @nathanb

Hanami is a historical tradition that comes from the noblest classes, who organized luxurious refreshments in the shade of the cherry trees to enjoy the ephemeral beauty of the moment. This habit has been preserved today, with rather widespread races to conquer the most beautiful place to rest, or take the best photo, to have picnics with the traditional hanami bento baskets , the typical trays with compartments where excellent lunches with seasonal Japanese food and wine specialties : from carved vegetables to fish, from rice to meat.

Japan today makes the most of the enormous tourist flow linked to the cherry blossoms by creating dedicated tours, picnics and themed parties, events and much more; Furthermore, all companies, shops and brands create special editions of themed products, with pink shades and floral patterns for the occasion: from drinks to make-up, from crisps to tea, from sake to beauty, from mugs to snacks.