Hanami flower-viewing season begins nine days earlier than average as the city’s official “sample tree” sprouts its first blossoms.
hanami (Page 8)
Sakura speculation map and dates for each prefecture in Japan released by Japan Weather Association.
This quick and easy technique for spotting a soon-to-fall blossom is surprising even the most ardent cherry blossom lovers in Japan.
It’s time to picnic under the trees and bask in the fleeting moment of beauty.
For those of us unable to go see the cherry blossoms in person, how about a new style of flower-viewing… without the actual flowers?
Enjoy the best of the cherry blossom viewing season with this list of the top spots to see sakura around the country.
One of the most magical events of the season combines traditional bathing with the iconic blossoms of spring.
This matcha and sakura cake collection has been specially designed for cherry blossom viewing parties.
People around the country are sharing stunning photos of the early-blossoming sakura in full bloom.
Because you might be too old to play with your food, but you’re not too old to play with your glasses.
Of all the beautiful sights in Japan, there is nothing quite like cherry blossoms blooming in spring. As soon as the winds of winter end, these tiny buds start growing and cities are filled with various shades of pink. However the cherry blossom season is very short, and just as soon as the sakura have come, they’re falling off the trees in a downpour of petals.
But when these petals fall into a river, or cover a paved street, another magical sight can be enjoyed. Let us show you another way you can enjoy cherry blossoms once they have blown off the tree with breathtaking pictures of hanaikada, cherry blossoms floating atop a river.
Congratulations, you’ve made it through another winter in (hopefully) one piece! Spring is here and much of the northern hemisphere is enjoying the first signs of new greenery and Japan’s favorite flower, sakura (cherry blossom), are starting to decorate the landscape.
The only thing better than relaxing under the sakura trees is relaxing under the sakura trees while consuming one of many delicious sakura flavored goodies. But you have to get them quickly, because they are as fleeting as the flowers themselves.
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!
If you’re kicking yourself for missing the hanami cherry blossom viewing season in Japan, we have some good news for you. There are still some sakura in full bloom right now and not only are they perfect for picnicking under, they’re a rare green variety that has even Japanese people gasping in delight.
It’s cherry blossom time in Tokyo, which means that the plum blossom season is just coming to a close, and one of Tokyo’s most popular spots to see plum blossom, Umeno Park in Ome, has finished the season with a sad announcement: it is chopping down all 1,266 of its famous plum trees to prevent the spread of a disease called plum pox.



















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