Spring has arrived!

The cherry trees are starting to bloom again around the

National Mall and Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. In Japan, cherry blossoms
are called sakura, a special flower for the people and the country.
Cherry blossoms are a symbolic flower of the spring, a time of renewal, and the
fleeting nature of life. Their life is very short. After their beauty peaks around two
weeks, the blossoms start to fall.

During this season in Japan, people like to have cherry blossom parties with
colleagues, friends, and family. A cherry blossom makes people merry. They enjoy
eating, drinking, and barbecuing underneath the cherry blossoms. We call this
custom hanami. Hanami literally means “watching blossoms,” and the tradition can
be traced back at least a thousand years. We bring cooked meals, alcohol, snacks,
and sweets, like a potluck party. Schools and offices hold welcome parties during
hanami, a chance for people to bond and meet new friends.

Even at night, viewing spots are crowded with people enjoying the blossoms in a
beautiful, romantic atmosphere. Couples go at night to enjoy the special mood
created by cherry blossoms. Hanami at night is called yozakura.

While American schools begin in the fall, the Japanese fiscal and school year
begins in April, the season of sakura. We feel like the fully bloomed cherry
blossoms are celebrating and welcoming our brand-new start. Many schools and
companies have cherry trees outside of them. This is why Japanese people have
special feelings for the cherry blossoms.

I have lovely memories from when I was young, doing hanami with my parents,
brother, and sister. My mom packed a special lunch box, hanami bento, full of our
favorite foods. My father was in charge of securing a good place for us at the
famous park by placing a blanket under the cherry trees in the early morning.

Now I like to go to hanami with a few of my close friends just to enjoy the cherry
blossoms, but if I go with a lot of friends or a group of colleagues, it mostly means
having a party with lots of eating and drinking.

Cherry trees have spread throughout the world to other Asian country, the United
States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Turkey, Spain British, Australia, and beyond.
We’re lucky to have thousands of cherry trees around the Tidal Basin in
Washington, D.C.

In 1912, 3,020 trees were sent from Yokohama to Washington, D.C., as a gift from
the people of Japan to the people of the United States. This spring the Cherry
Blossom Festivalcelebrates the 102-year anniversary of the gift of sakura.
Now that cherry blossom season is here, you can say: “The season of sakura is
coming! Want to go to hanami?”