The cherry blossom (桜・sakura) has always been the symbol of ephemeral beauty in the Japanese culture, and very often associated with the bushi and samurai, among whom it was said that life was short and beautiful, like a cherry flower.

The Canal Cafe part of the Tokyo Suijyo Club ( Iidabashi station subway exit B3) will let you rent rowboats and enjoy the sakura along the river. Skip the lunch and go straight to the boats.

It is thought that the custom of hanami (花見) aka flower watching” under the fully blossomed cherry trees originated among the nobles, when the Kokin Wakashyu 古今和歌集, a waka poem collection was assembled during the 10^th century. Before the cherry blossoms became the object of poetic adoration, the plum tree blossoms were the source of much poetic observation. However, the growth of Buddhism and its bittersweet observations on the transience of existence seemed to make cherry blossoms, with their short lives, seem a lot cooler. It is also known that during the Edo period, the Shogunate gave the order to plant cherry trees around the city of Edo, the current Tokyo—which also helped the hanami boom. It is also true that hanami actually existed before karaoke was even invented and that in ancient times people celebrated it without drinking Asahi Super Dry.

The slow boat to cherry blossom paradise.

During the Second World War, the sakura was a symbol of the Japanese people’s strength and motivation. Very often the kamikaze soldiers would paint sakura flowers on their airplane before they were sent on suicide missions, as a symbol of beauty and short life nature.

Jake learning that a row boat does not handle like a canoe.

Even nowadays the Japanese military and police forces use the sakura flower as an emblem: the Japanese National Police Agency and The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are based in Sakuradamon, 桜田門. (The 100 yen coins are also engraved with a cherry blossom symbol.)

Hanazono Jinja in Shinjuku is not a place for picnics but lovely to view the evening blossoms. (夜桜）

The book 　英語対訳で読む、美しい日本の『こころ』(The Beautiful Japansese Mind), states that this image of the cherry blossoms “embodies mujoukan, 無常観, (the feeling of transience and emptiness), and isagiyosa, 潔さ, (giving up gracefully).” Of course, the same Japanese military that so revered this symbol didn’t give up gracefully  before the launch of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, but that’s beside the point.

The Gods (神様) quietly enjoying the festivities from their shrine. 花園神社

The melting sun and falling cherry blossoms at dusk.

Every year, the Japanese Meteorological Agency follows the sakura zensen 桜前線, (the frontlines of the sakura blossom) and every evening the news has an update on the current state of the sakura invasion and the general health of the remaining sakura blossoms as they go from budding, to fully blooming, to finally withering and falling in a flurry of white flowers.

Cherry Blossom Row in Hinokicho Park, near the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Roppongi

The cherry blossom lines starts in Okinawa and move up to Kyoto, Tokyo, and progresses  into the north a few weeks later on to Hokkaido.

Eating a delicious 桜幕の内弁当　(sakura lunch box) in Hinokichio Park. Sakura petals are often added to Japanese foods around Hanami season.

The life of a sakura flower is considered as the most beautiful way of life for the Japanese people. “Bloom beautifully and fade gracefully.”  It is an ideal slightly different from “Live fast and die young”. So before the last of the sakura fade, gracefully enjoy them at the park of your choice and ponder the transience of life, while having a good time.

Along the Tamagawa 多摩川 today, the cherry blossoms reached full bloom. (April 15th 2012)

夜桜 (Yozakura) The cherry blossoms at night are also beautiful. Under a full-moon or artificially illuminated, they shine.

Even the dead enjoy Hanami in Japan. The cemetery and grounds of Ikegami Honmon Temple (池上本文寺) are beautiful and their sakura festival always fun.