Do you know what the cherry-blossom front (Japanese:
sakura zensen) is? As we wrote somewhere in our blog, cherry blossoms have a special meaning to Japanese people. This year as well, the time to enjoy viewing cherry blossoms has just arrived.
The cherry-blossom front, which is officially announced by the Meteorological Agency, is
an indicator of when and where people can enjoy viewing beautiful cherry blossoms in Japan. The front moves from
Kyushu all the way up to
Hokkaido, (i.e., from the south to the north), indicating some part of Japan has become ready for the cherry-blossom feast.
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| People on the blue sheet are enjoying Hanami |
Generally in the US, drinking in public places, such as parks and riversides, is prohibited. In Japan, however, these places, especially under cherry trees or where people can enjoy viewing cherry blossoms, are the very best places where co-workers, friends, or families can get together.
While viewing beautiful cherry blossoms, people drink beer and/or
sake (English: Japanese rice wine) in such public places. Sometimes, as a Japanese saying
"hanayori dango" (English: literally, sweets rather than flowers; figuratively, people prefer eating food to viewing flowers) shows, people may enjoy drinking more than viewing cherry blossoms.
However, drinking while viewing cherry blossoms is good for a spring get-together.
When you see some plastic sheet (mostly, blue plastic sheet) spread on the ground in a park or a riverside, it means the spot covered with the sheet is "reserved" for the cherry-blossom viewing party. Did this post motivate you to try "Hanami"?
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