[Hanami: cherry blossom]
In Japan’s spring time, the cherry blossom is the main activity. It is a well-know cultural from the ancient Japan to welcome the spring.
Cherry blossom starts a certain time in spring according to the area. It becomes a kind of competition to see which area will blossom sooner. The cherry blossom usually stays around 2 weeks and begin to wither away.
This is an important scene in Japan’s cultural to announce the spiring is coming. These little pretty flowers blossom in the short time, but when they are withering away, it becomes a splendid picture. For this reason, Japanese relate it to a human’s life is just like the cherry blossoms.
Japan’s cherry blossom is original from the royal family’s activity in Nara period. Although the plum blossoms are the main event in Nara period due to China’s import, however, it changed to cherry blossoms in Heian period.
By the way, in ‘Manyoshu’(the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry), 43 songs were written for the cherry blossoms.
