A little bit more about SAKURA

Sakura (Cherry blossom) is a symbol of spring in Japan.
Not only Japanese but also foreigners enjoy bloom of Sakura every year.
Under blooming Sakura, many people hold feasts or parties. This custom is widely known as “Ohanami”

But, do you know when did the culture of “Ohanami” begin?

Since ancient times, wild Sakura trees have existed in Japan. Oldest collection of Japanese poetry, “Manyoshu”, written in the Nara period (710-794), contains a poem about Sakura.
During the Heian period (794-1185), people became familiar with Sakura as the flower that heralded the arrival of spring.
Nobles of this period began to cultivate saplings to plant wild Sakura in their gardens.
The oldest cultivated species of Sakura is “Shidarezakura” (Sakura with soft branches that droop at the ends like icicles). 

The most famous species of Sakura in modern times is the “Somei-yoshino".
“Somei-yoshino” was developed during the Edo period (1603-1868), in Somei-Village, located in present-day Tokyo, where a large number of plant artisans lived.
Somei-yoshino, which grows quickly and produces large, beautiful flowers, spread from Edo to the rest of the country, and even the common people came to widely enjoy cherry blossom viewing.
Under the cherry blossoms, people celebrated the coming of spring by eating lunch and drinking sake, and wished for a bountiful harvest in the new year.

Modern Japan is no different in its love of Sakura. During the Sakura season, everybody enjoys parties under Sakura.
Sakura season is a time when everyone is in high spirits.
Come to Japan and celebrate the arrival of spring with us!