Cherry Blossoms (sakura)
Hanami Season
(Click small image for larger view.)
Join us for our virtual viewing of the cherry blossoms in Akashi Castle park.
April 8, 2005.
The first hanami took place in the seventh
century. The coming harvest was forecasted from the condition of the
cherry blossoms. The full blooms were symbolic of a full and bountiful
harvest of rice, which the upper classes would celebrate by drinking
and eating under the trees.
The cherry blossom trees all over Japan
come in to bloom for between seven and 10 days and people hold outdoor
parties to view them.
The fleeting beauty of the cherry blossoms
is symbolic to the Japanese.They represent the brevity of life and the
frailty of existence. Viewers take along food, host a barbeque
or buy food from stalls that line the paths.
Here in the background is Akashi Castle.
The trees are in the castle's park.
View varieties of
cherry blossoms with descriptions of each variety.
You will appreciate the many, many kinds.
You will appreciate the many, many kinds.