HANAMI – CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING IN JAPAN

This month’s silk for the Ikimono banner anticipates Hanami (“flower viewing”) – the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers  This has come to almost always mean cherry blossoms (sakura). The vintage silk is such a delicate pink, with petal like shapes woven into its glossy surface. with kimono themselves, the use of this bolt slightly in advance of Hanami is quintessentially Japanese, as designs are worn ahead of season, in anticipation of the appearance of the blossoms.

The custom was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court, but soon spread to samurai society and, by the Edo period, to the common people as well. Tokugawa Yoshimune planted areas of cherry blossom trees to encourage this. Under the sakura trees, people had lunch and drank sake in cheerful feasts.

Today, the Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami, gathering in great numbers wherever the flowering trees are found. Feasts are held under the sakura trees, and sometimes these parties go on until late at night. In more than half of Japan, the cherry blossoming period coincides with the beginning of the scholastic and fiscal years, and so welcoming parties are often opened with hanami. The Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami by taking part in the processional walks through the parks. This is a form of retreat for contemplating and renewing their spirits.

The teasing proverb dumplings rather than flowers (hana yori dango) hints at the real priorities for most cherry blossom viewers, meaning that people are more interested in the food and drinks that accompany a hanami party rather than actually viewing the flowers themselves

The most important factor in determining the blooming time of cherry trees is the geographical location, and the milder the climate, the earlier the blossoms open.

On Japan’s southern, subtropical islands of Okinawa, cherry blossoms open as early as January, while on the northern island of Hokkaido, they bloom as late as May. In most major cities in between, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the cherry blossom season typically takes place around the end of March and beginning of April.

The blooming time differs from year to year depending on the weather. If the weather during the months and weeks preceding the cherry blossom season is mild, blossoms will open early. If it is cold, blossoms will open later. From year to year, the start of the blooming season can vary by as much as two weeks.

Every year, the Meteorological Agency and the media close follows the so called “cherry blossom front” as it slowly moves northward. Note that the front indicates the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) rather than the arrival of full bloom (mankai).

So when is Hanami predicted in 2010 in Tokyo and Kyoto?

The Japan Weather Association published its first forecasts for this year’s cherry blossom season. The blossoms are forecast to open several days ahead of their average year’s schedule in most areas of Japan. In Tokyo they are expected to start opening on March 24 and in Kyoto on March 27.

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~ by maggikimono on February 28, 2010.