In full bloom

From March to April every year, millions head to Japan to see their famed cherry trees shower the landscape in pink and white petals

WORDS BY EMMA CALLEY

The annual blooming of sakura (cherry blossom) trees in Japan is a sacred occurrence that has been celebrated for over 1,000 years. While its origins are somewhat disputed, with some sources pointing to the 3rd century and others to the 9th, it’s generally agreed that the earliest hanami (flower viewing) parties were reserved for imperial aristocrats and later, the samurai class. By the turn of the 17th century, cherry blossom season was widely celebrated by ordinary folk and today, millions of international visitors flock to Japan in March and April to see the blooms and join the locals in the sakura festivities.

Tokyo's Chidorigafuchi Park

Why is cherry blossom season such a big deal?

These days, tourists visit Japan during sakura season to see the country’s most famous sights showered in delicate petals. But for the Japanese, the season has a much deeper significance. In addition to being appreciated for its splendid appearance, it has also come to symbolise the ephemeral nature of life and its fleeting beauty.

In Japan, Shinto and Buddhism are the dominant religions, with many people identifying as both. While the beliefs differ in some areas, many of the main ideas are shared between Shintoists and Buddhists, including the worship of nature and life’s impermanence. The short-lived bloom of sakura embodies this principle; it is a stunning yet temporary sight that, at the height of its beauty, quickly vanishes.

When do the cherry trees bloom?

Cherry blossom season is an annual event that occurs every spring, however the exact dates of the bloom vary from year to year, based on weather conditions. A warm spring often leads to early kaika (flowering), while cold temperatures might lead to late blooms. The one thing that’s guaranteed is the pattern of blooming, with the sakura zensen (cherry blossom front) starting in the southern islands near the beginning of the year and heading north, as late as May. For visitors wanting to see the deciduous trees flower in Japan’s most popular cities, Kyoto and Tokyo typically bloom in the last week of March and first two of April.

Hirano Jinjya Temple in Kyoto

As the cherry blossom season is big business in Japan, its prediction has become a suitably grand affair, involving scientists, mathematic equations and many of the country’s leading meteorologists. For those wanting up-to-date information, the Sakura Navi app – developed by the Japan Meteorological Corporation – allows people to track the cherry blossom zensen in real time, alerts them when they’re near a viewing spot and contains blooming forecasts for the entire country.

Kitanomaru Park in Tokyo

Best place to view the cherry blossoms?

Traverse Japan in early April and you’re in with a great chance of seeing cherry trees in bloom, however the best spot to bask in their beauty requires a detour. Yoshino, a relatively quiet town east of Osaka, explodes in population when the sakura zensen arrives. The town has long been one of the most popular to visit during spring as it’s home to 30,000 cherry blossom trees, which blanket the mountainous region in pink and white.

The majestic torii of Hirano Shrine

In Tokyo, there are many places to spot sakura. Head to Chiyoda in central Tokyo, where hundreds of sakura trees line the edge of the Chidorigafuchi Moat, beside the imperial palace. Those looking for a perspective away from the crowds should rent a boat and paddle down the waterway.

Visting the blossoms at Kitanomaru Park in Tokyo

Just as Kyoto is known for its beautiful temples and shrines, it’s also renowned for its blossom displays. Ditch the crowds at Kiyomizu-dera and set up your own hanami on the sakura-lined banks of the Kamo-gawa River, or visit the oftenoverlooked Konkai Komyo-ji Temple.

Which events take place during cherry blossom season?

Japanese people love a celebration, with hundreds of thousands of matsuri (festivals) taking place around the country every year. From giving thanks, to praying for a good harvest, there’s a festival to commemorate any occasion and when March arrives, the matsuris turn their focus to all things pink and floral.

Hanami festival at Maruyama Park

Travel anywhere with flowering sakura trees and you’re bound to find people partaking in hanami celebrations, so grab a bento box and set up camp under a blossoming tree to bask in the beauty of the season. If you’re interested in a larger event, Tokyo’s Ueno Park hosts one of Japan’s largest cherry blossom festivals. With over 1,000 trees, food stalls and night-time illumination, it’s no wonder the park is a popular hanami spot for locals and visitors alike.

What special treats are available during cherry blossom season?

Japanese food is heavily centred around the seasons, with offerings dependent on fresh produce and seasonal flavours. The arrival of spring brings all manner of sakura-flavoured treats, from Kit Kats to soft-serve ice cream and yatsuhashi (a chewy rice flour triangle filled with sweet paste).

atcha green tea and hojicha soft serve ice cream is popular during cherry blossom season

For some delicious sakura-flavoured wagashi (Japanese sweets), head to the iconic yet tiny Gion Manju Factory (103 Ooidecho, Sanjo

agashi, traditional confectionery eaten during sakura season

Shirakawabashi-dori Nishi-iru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture) in the centre of Kyoto, which has been serving up mochi (rice cakes), dango (rice dumplings on a skewer) and other traditional treats for almost 200 years.

MISSED CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON?

There are some other blooming beauties to see while you’re touring Japan, no matter the season.

Ume (plum blossom)

In bloom: January–March

The flowering of the ume is a welcome harbinger of the oncoming spring. The blossoms of the Japanese plum (also known as the Japanese apricot) were the original inspiration for the Japanese pastime of hanami (flower viewing) before cherry blossoms won favour in the 8th-century during the Heian Period. Ume festivals, or ume matsuri, are still beloved events that draw crowds out of winter hibernation to picnic under boughs laden with fragrant pink and white petals.

Where to see them: One of the most scenic ume matsuri is the Odawara Plum Festival in Kanagawa Prefecture, where 35,000 plum trees bloom against the silhouette of Mt Fuji.

Fuji (wisteria)

In bloom: April–May

Wisteria is a common motif in Japanese arts and culture, and retains noble connotations harking back to feudal times when commoners were forbidden to wear purple. Today the Japanese wisteria’s dangling strings of mauve, pink and white blossoms bring people from far and wide flocking to specialty parks each season to see hypnotic displays of the vine trained into tunnels and over trellises.

Where to see them: Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, boasts more than 350 wisteria vines. Among the most stunning sights is an 80 metre-long wisteria tunnel dripping in flowers, and the nearly 150-year-old Great Miracle Wisteria with its gnarled trunk and impossibly wide canopy.

Ajisai (hydrangea)

In bloom: May–July

As the rainy season engulfs Japan, hydrangeas start to bloom in parks, temples and shrines nationwide. It is thought that this highly ornamental flower originated in Japan, where it is the symbol of

the rainy season. The petals of the plant react to the acidity level of the soil and can switch between inky blue, pink, purple and white accordingly – a trait that made ‘fickleness’ another symbolic meaning of the ajisai

The water-loving hydrangea is considered at its most beautiful after a rainfall, when the clustered flower heads are beaded with droplets.

Where to see them: Kamakura city is a serene temple town south of Tokyo in Kanagawa prefecture renowned for its annual hydrangea displays. Hase-dera and Meigetsu-in temples are particularly breathtaking, where pathways are lined with clouds of blue-tinged blooms.

Himawari (sunflowers)

In bloom: July–August

With the sun in Japan comes that sunniest of flowers. At their most glorious in the peak of summer, sunflowers are fittingly seen as a symbol of radiance, but also of hope. Sunflowers can help filter radioactive contamination out of soil, and so a community-driven project saw vast fields of sunflowers planted around Fukushima after the devastating nuclear disaster. They’ve become a physical sign of healing in the slowly recovering region.

Where to see them: Every season more than a million sunflowers unfurl at Himawari-no-Sato, a flower farm north of Sapporo in Hokkaido. During its famed Hokuryu sunflower festival, visitors wander mazes plotted into the fields and explore by tractor and bicycle.

Kiku (chrysanthemum)

In bloom: September–November

The kiku is a symbol of the Japanese monarchy – also known as the ‘Chrysanthemum Throne’ – and is a deeply revered bloom. In a show of mastery over nature, artisan growers spend all year selectively breeding, pruning and fastidiously training chrysanthemum plants before the autumn flowering. These meticulous displays are shown off in public spaces, with the most accomplished holding pride of place at kiku matsuri (chrysanthemum festivals).

Where to see them: Yushima Tenjin Shrine and Daienji Temple in Tokyo are the settings for two of the city’s most popular kiku matsuri. Look closely to appreciate the great skill that has gone into each display. After the peak of the bloom has passed, the grower will cut down their creations and begin the painstaking process anew for the next season.