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cherry blossom

Smell like matcha tiramisu with new spray lotion from 126-year-old Japanese cosmetics company

Why settle for looking like a snack when you can smell like dessert instead?

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We went hanami cherry blossom viewing in gorgeous Ueno Park with complete strangers

Nothing like making friends and enjoying the fleeting beauty of a Japanese spring together.

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Welcome spring the Japanese way with limited-edition sakura motif deerskin purses and wallets

Carry a gorgeous and stylish piece of Japanese leather tradition wherever you go.

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Legoland Japan celebrates first anniversary with world’s largest LEGO cherry blossom tree【Video】

Real cherry blossoms wither after a week, but flowers on this plastic tree will last a very long time.

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Japan turns the confectionery world on its head with stretchy mochi-covered chocolates

Japanese company reinvents chocolate by adding sakura and sticky rice to the mix.

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Japanese Kit Kats get a cherry blossom boost with Sakura and Roasted Soy Beans【Taste Test】

We try the new seasonal chocolate that’s available only for a limited time.

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Roses and cherry blossoms help to repel wasp attacks, according to Kochi University study

Turns out those vicious insects are just a bunch of big ol’ softies.

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Lola’s Cupcakes and Magnolia Bakery bring out sakura cupcakes in Japan for a limited time

Famous bakeries from London and New York create limited edition cherry blossom cupcakes just for Japan.

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Chocolatier Max Brenner welcomes spring with pavlova, cherry blossom & delicious green tea pizza

Because there’s no better way to welcome spring than with a sweet serving of sakura and matcha.

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Cute cats and sakura cherry blossoms meet for a deliciously sweet collaboration

Kittens and their paw prints will be blossoming at Tokyo Skytree for a limited time this spring.

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Get Asahi Super Dry beer in a spring sakura package for a limited time!

It’s still in the middle of winter in Japan, but beer bottles and cans from Asahi are already dressing up for sakura-filled spring!

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New glassware from Japan uses condensation to create sakura cherry blossom imprints on your table

Because you might be too old to play with your food, but you’re not too old to play with your glasses.

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South Korean media wants the world to know that “cherry blossoms originated there”

It’s that time of year again, when the cold of winter fades away and gives birth to the beautiful pink and white hues of cherry blossoms contrasted against their trees’ elegant dark branches. It’s a season long identified with Japanese culture around the world.

However, news organizations in South Korea are declaring that this has gone on long enough and are calling for a concerted effort to let everyone know once and for all that cherry blossoms are theirs.

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Food over Flowers! Magnolia Bakery’s cherry blossom cupcakes have arrived in time for spring!

Cherry blossom time in Japan is all about appreciating nature and the transitive beauty of life, right? Wrong. It’s totally an excuse to stuff your face with delicious food during “cherry blossom viewing parties”, aka Japan’s über-picnics! Onigiri are usually a popular food to consume under those canopies of candy-pink petals, but cherry blossom-flavoured food and drinks are also unsurprisingly popular around this time of year.

Luckily, mega-popular chain Magnolia Bakery has a store in Japan, and they’re rolling out special cherry blossom cupcakes for spring!

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Capybara enjoying a meal at Ueno Zoo treats us to the herbivore’s version of “Hana Yori Dango”

As our readers may be well aware, we Japanese have a passion for the sakura, or cherry trees, turning it into a huge social event when they’re in bloom each spring, even though they last for only about a week. We’re also quite fond of capybaras, as you can tell from the way we delight in pampering them in hot spring baths, and also creating mascot characters out of them as well. Well, we’re right in the middle of sakura season in Tokyo now, and we’ve found a cute little picture that combines these two seemingly unrelated subjects in a delightfully unexpected way. Yes, straight from Ueno, one of the most famous sakura-viewing areas in Tokyo, we bring to you this lovely photo that has captured the hearts of Japanese netizens and gives renewed meaning to the Japanese expression, “hana yori dango.”

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There’s something about sakura: It’s hard not to fall in love with Japan’s cherry blossom【Videos】

Spring has arrived in Japan, and that can mean only one thing: Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing parties! But what is it about hanami, and those pretty pink petals in general for that matter, that manages to capture the hearts and minds of so many?

Let’s take a look at a handful of videos that capture the mood of hanami season perfectly and see if we can pinpoint exactly what it is that makes the season so special!

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Cherry Blossom Season: Japan’s Top Three Hot Spots for Hanami

Ladies and gentlemen, winter in Japan is officially over. The thermal underwear and thick coats have been packed away and people, or at least those who don’t suffer from allergies, are throwing open their windows and letting the warm air in. It’s at this time of year that people rekindle their love of the outdoors and, armed with their blue plastic ground sheets and big bags of food, head to the park in order to catch a glimpse of the cherry blossom at its best.

The official name for this recreational activity is hanami (花見 lit. flower watching), but for many it’s simply a great opportunity to get together with friends to drink beer in the park. Still, if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right, so provided you can find it in you to fight through the hordes of other like-minded sakura (cherry blossom) fans, there are three locations in particular that we highly recommend visiting.

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