Sakura is the Japanese name for several tree species from the plum subfamily. They are characterized by abundant spring bloom. In Japan and abroad, sakura is often considered a symbol of this country.
Instructions
Step 1
Cultivated and wild varieties of cherry blossoms are found almost throughout Japan. This tree is also often found in Japanese art, both ancient and modern. Images of sakura flowers adorn kimonos, tea utensils, various household items and stationery.
Step 2
The cherry blossom period lasts about a week. Trees bloom first in the southern archipelago of Okinawa at the end of January, white-pink clouds envelop the parks of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto in late March and early April, and cherry blossoms in late April and early May on the northern island of Hokkaido. The sakura blossom marks the final change of winter to summer and the start of a new agricultural year.
Step 3
Sakura blossom means for the Japanese the fragility and transience of human life. In Buddhism, sakura is a symbol of the frailty of life and impermanence of being. In traditional Japanese poetry, this plant is associated with lost love and past youth. Many poems and songs have been composed about sakura and are still being composed. The cherry blossom theme is also reflected in contemporary Japanese music, cinema and anime.
Step 4
During World War II, cherry blossoms were used as militaristic propaganda to strengthen the "Japanese spirit". An analogy was drawn between the falling sakura flowers and the youth, ready to give their lives for the glory of the emperor. Kamikaze pilots painted sakura on their planes and even took branches of this tree with them. The Japanese planted sakura in the colonies, which was one of the ways to express their claims to new territories.
Step 5
In Japan, there is a centuries-old tradition of admiring the flowering sakura trees - hanami. This custom appeared in the 8th century, but then the subject of aesthetic worship was to a greater extent the flowers of the ume plum, which bloom a month earlier than the Japanese cherry. Initially, this tradition was widespread among the top of the nobility, but it was quickly adopted by the entire samurai class. By the 17th century, almost all segments of the population were observing the custom of the khans.
Step 6
For the modern Japanese, hanami is, first of all, picnics with family, friends or work colleagues, which are held in the shade of cherry blossoms. Tablecloths are spread out on the grass and dishes are arranged with traditional Japanese snacks and sweets, made by themselves or bought at the nearest supermarket. Drinks can include hot or chilled green tea, beer, and sake.
