Castles Cherry Blossoms Festival Nagoya Castle Nagoya Features Soceity and Customs

Cherry Blossoms

Spring has a special meaning to Japanese people.  It is associated with new beginnings.

For example, the school year starts in April.  New students, who are excited about their upcoming school life, even freshmen in college, feel anxious as well as excited around this time of the year.  Transfer to a different position at public and private companies usually happens in April as well.  People say goodbye to their old pals and have to welcome newcomers.  Thus, in spring, Japanese people feel nostalgic for old and familiar things, while anticipating new excitement at the same time.

Cherry blossoms add a tint to these feelings.  Cherry blossoms are, in general, at their best in early spring.  Their pinkish color is neither gaudy nor assertive at all, and thus matches everything.

When Japanese people are new to their unfamiliar environments, such as new schools and workplaces, they are expected to behave like cherry blossoms, and to adapt themselves to the new environments.  In addition, cherry blossoms at their best normally last only a week or so, as if they were sending a strong message to Japanese people: seize the moment in your life. When cherry blossoms are out of their best and green buds take the blossoms' place (around the end of April), people could leave these mixed emotions behind and get ready to explore in their new life.

This Sakura is called Shidare-sakura, which seems bowing

We would like to share with you some pictures of beautiful cherry blossoms and Nagoya Castle with cherry blossoms at its back.  We hope that you could have some sense of the above-mentioned emotions Japanese people would have when seeing cherry blossoms.

These two pictures show how beautiful Nagoya Castle is with "modest" cherry blossoms on its back.

The above picture shows the entrance of Nagoya Castle. Street vendors (in red) sell food to cherry-blossom viewers.

This picture again depicts Nagoya Castle.