o-hanami

Hanami is Japanese and means "flower-viewing". Each year when the cherry blossom is at its peak, what seems to be every single person in Japan walks out to the nearest park (or, in all honesty, the nearest sakura tree), spreads out a blanket/similar, and brings out copious amounts of food, drinks - and friends. And then you sit under the tree like a bunch of Asian Ferdinands and hang out.

Consequently...when in Rome and all that...so did we.

Last night I went with three friends to Yoyogi park in Tokyo to do hanami. It's a strange tradition but there is something particular about sitting under a ceiling of white blossom, almost like a snowy sky closer to Earth than usual.

Shikishima no

Yamato-gokoro wo

Hito towaba

Asahi ni niou

Yamazakura-bara.

Asked

What the true Japanese spirit is like,

I would answer,

It is the mountain cherry blossoms

Smelling in the rising sun.

by Motoori Noringa (1730-1801)

Jo x