Japan: 18 months in 18 pictures – April 07

Part 1 and explanation of the series here. Read entire series via tags, here.

Another obvious one I think from the shot, but April in Japan was definitely dominated, at least at the start of it, by the Sakura season, which in Japan is very serious business. Sakura is as much of a national treasure to the Japanese as Mt. Fuji, with dedicated Sakura forecasts on TV, radio and in the papers throughout the season to let people know where the flowers are first blooming, where they’re late etc… Actually witnessing the dedication, love and in some cases fanatiscism which affects a majority of the population during that time of the year was probably as interesting and enjoyable as seeing Sakura for the first time. Another reason why Sakura season is incredibly popular in Japan is because it also brings Hanami (literally ‘flower watching’) an activity which has roots in Japanese history and culture as the samurai would apparently take time to enjoy the ephemeral beauty of the Sakura flowers, which to them symbolised the frailty and ephemeral nature of life itself (the flowers only bloom for a short time before falling to the ground, and then it’s another year before the process repeats itself). Today though, Hanami is primarily an excuse to get pissed under the Sakura with friends, family or colleagues (or all three) and kind of watch the flowers or take pictures, generally in a fairly drunken stupor.

The picture above was taken near my flat in Kiyose, next to a local river (I think it’s Yanasegawa if I remember well) that is lined with Sakura trees for about a kilometer. The Sakura season in 2007 was cut short by bad weather but luckily enough my day off fell on one of the sunny days and I spent most of it under or around the Sakura, doing the typical gaijin thing. What surprised me the most though was how just insistent the Japanese are when it comes to their Hanami, exemplified in the picture. This massive group, of what I assume were coworkers, gathered in the fairly chilly weather, with blowing wind and went as far as to bring their own portable karaoke with TV and mics. Karaoke under the Sakura is another firm favourite, and to see just how far they would go to have it was pretty surreal. Good on them though.

Sakura season was brief that year, but witnessing it was a mix of surrealism, fascination and incredulity. The flowers themselves are beautiful, and to see just how Tokyo sprouts patches of pink in various parts of the city and the suburbs is incredible, as is witnessing all this ‘pink’ fall to the ground within a week or so and cover the streets for the next week. It’s easy to see why samurai held Sakura as a metaphor for the frailty of life, it’s a bit of a romanticised idea but it’s nice and when you’re surrounded by it, it’s hard not to feel some degree of understanding for it, unless you just don’t like flowers or nature. In which case you can always use Sakura season as an excuse to get drunk, which is what most people who don’t like it (generally foreigners) do. The surrealism and incredulity came not just from witnessing how the Japanese as a society react to this period of the year, becoming a lot more laid back and in a sense more ‘open’ than normal, but also seeing just how passionate some of them are about it. Students generally spend the majority of their time talking to you about it, while I remember witnessing countless business men and others on the train and around town snapping pictures of Sakura with phones and cameras. Sakura season is a very big deal, and while it’s easy to look down on it from the outside as some foreigners do, it’s actually one of the best cultural and social experiences you can have while in Japan, it’s a real insight into the culture and the people. Four months in, it was nice to feel like I was finally starting to understand the country and its people a little more.

Runner up pics:
The standard and quite cheesy Sakura shot, up close with Buddha in Higashi Tokorozawa during Sakura season, a game of cat and duck, first panoramic views of Tokyo from the top of Ikebukuro Sunshine City.

Flickr Set(s):
Sakura, サクラ, 桜
Higashi Tokorozawa Shrine
Day out in Ikebukuro