Ring in Spring with Japanese Cherry Blossoms

Photo Credit: Lauren Schlenger

Spring is here, and that means it's the time of buds and blossoms.  What better way to celebrate than a look at a springtime treasure: cherry blossoms!

I was lucky enough to go to the National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC during my time as an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland.  It really is beautiful to see all of the trees in bloom, which is why it draws over a million visitors every year.

But it got me thinking... if the Japanese Cherry Blossoms are this beautiful in the U.S... what are they like in Japan?

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The blooming period is similar between the two countries.  The National Cherry Blossom Festival this year was "scheduled" from March 20th to April 17th.  The peak bloom was earlier than usual - around March 25th, as opposed to the average of April 4th (which makes sense when you think about the mild winter we had).

Of course, DC is just one city.  The cherry blossom trees in Japan sprawl the entire country.  Depending where you are, the blooms can start as early as January and continue as late as May.  According to About Travel, it's tracked very carefully each year by the Japan Meteorological Agency as the warm weather moves in from the south (kind of the same way we track fall foliage here, just a different season).  Take a look at this year's map.

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In Japan, they call the celebrations Hanami.  It means "flower viewing," and the Japanese word for the blossoms themselves is sakura.  They say that because each bloom only lasts for about two weeks, the flowers have come to symbolize the idea that beauty doesn't last forever.

This slightly more thought-provoking message doesn't stop people from having fun.  Savory Japan calls the effect of the flowers "intoxicating," describing it like a gentle rain falling on the sidewalks and into women's hair, enveloping the cities in fragrance and blanketing the ground in pink.  (When can I book my plane ticket??)

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It's become a country wide festival that supposedly has changed very little over the years.  Vendors line the park sidewalks, and kids play under the branches.  People picnic during the day and party at night.

Like most blossoms, a day of wind or rain can cut the celebrations short.  Savory Japan says the element of chance makes planning a visit that much more exciting.  But I say, if you've got a car, money, and time to kill (if you're that lucky), you can always follow spring north to catch the blooms as they spread across the country.

For now, I'll cherish my memories in DC - a highly recommended and more accessible way to see the blossoms right here in the US.  And many thanks to former Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki for the initial gift of 3000 trees back in 1912, over a century ago.

Photo Credit: Lauren Schlenger