It’s that time of year in Japan when everyone is enjoying all things sakura, cherry blossom, and I am enjoying the beauty vicariously through friend’s Facebook posts. Of course Facebook also reminds me of the fun I had while I was in Japan, I would join the crowds in local parks and enjoy hanami, cherry blossom viewing, which pre-family life meant finding a patch of ground to put a tarp down and eating and drinking for hours on end with friends until it was too cold to stay out or we run out of supplies.

As you know I love flowers, they bring an instant hit of joy, so I love the fact that in Japan everyone takes the time to appreciate the beauty of nature and the cherry blossoms are a part of Japanese culture, even the national rugby team wear sakura with pride on their shirts.

Hanami is a much anticipated event across the country, forecasts are given on the news and are available on sites like japan.guide.com (see below), so that people can plan their gatherings and enjoy the blooms in their full glory.

Sakura is a reminder that things should be enjoyed in the here and now as their beauty, like magnolia, passes by in a fleeting moment. My four legged friend Mizu is now used to me making him sit while I take a moment to enjoy our surroundings or take photo of something pretty while we are out walking…

However, the locals probably wonder what I’m doing!

Before we relocated back to the UK we lived a 20 minute walk away from a popular hanami spot, Naka-meguro river, so I would be rewarded with stunning views on morning runs along the river before the crowds came to enjoy the sights and indulge in the yatai (street side food stalls) delights.

I mentioned earlier hanami is about all things sakura related, the Bento (lunch boxes) have cherry blossom rice and at Yoyogi Park Little Miss and I even tried a sakura flavoured ice cream…

With Little Miss cuddled up at home with daddy when out with my friends we would indulge in other sakura infused treats…

After dark people enjoy the night time views, parks and river sides are lit with lanterns and tree lined streets lit by the street lights like at Ark Hills…

With the April showers in full force in this part of the UK today I take joy in reminiscing about fond sakura memories with friends, my OH and Little Miss while the rain continues to fall outside.

Categories: Culture, Lifestyle, TravelTags: Beauty, cherry blossom, hanami, memories, sakura