Sakura or cherry blossom season is a magical time of year to visit Japan. Varying by region and weather, the season starts at the end of March and can extend through May. The gorgeous, tiny pink flowers called sakura in Japanese are so popular that they are the unofficial flower of Japan. The arrival of blossoming sakura flowers is celebrated throughout the country with food, music, dancing and camaraderie.  

The cherry blossom festival

To properly enjoy the season, you should take part in hanami which is a centuries old tradition of “viewing flowers” commemorated with picnics, parties and sake. At the time of origin nearly 1000 years ago, hanami festivals were reserved for the Japanese aristocrats which actually centred around the ume or plum blossoms. Today sakura blossom festivals are for the masses to enjoy and Japan sees many tourists at this time of year as well as many travelling Japanese people throughout the land.

Picnics are an important part of any hanami – families and friends gather under the tree blossoms savouring seasonal foods such as sakura mochi, cherry blossom-infused rice cakes. Don’t forget to bring your zabuton to ensure extra comfort!

Sake, an alcohol brewed from fermented rice juice, is the drink of choice for hanami celebrations, and festival goers can sometimes be seen sipping sake from day into night. Tea ceremonies are also common where black and green teas are sometimes blended with the sakura blossoms and enjoyed from cups and pots decorated with cherry blossom motifs.

Festivals often include dancing, music, live performances and cultural displays varying from fesitval to festival making each one unique in their own way.

Taking place well into the evenings, festivals often feature paper lanterns which are lit and then placed to hang from the cherry trees which creates a wonderful and romantic atmosphere, magically different to what one experiences during the day.

The importance of sakura

Cherry blossom season marks the start of spring when optimism, renewal and new life are at their peak.

The lifespan of the sakura blossoms is relatively short which reminds us of the impermanence of life and beauty often reared to as “mono no aware” or nothing lasts forever. This topic is depicted in Japanese music, art and culture.

In the Shinto religion, cherry blossom season is an important season as it is said the sakura hold sacred spirits and forces. In Buddhism, the sakura symbolise the ephemerality of life.