Hanami, or flower viewing is a popular tradition in spring with many Japanese enjoying the stunning sakura which are regarded as a symbol of beauty and renewal.
Cherry blossoms can be seen along river banks, in parks & fields and lining both sides of roads like a cherry blossom tunnel. It is the perfect time to relax and enjoy a picnic beneath the flowering cherry trees.
You can even catch the wondrous pink and white petals of the cherry blossoms along with fields of rapeseed (nanohana), which bloom at the same time in the countryside of rural Japan, creating a stunning contrast.
Many Japanese like to enjoy the cherry blossoms at night after work, which is called yozakura in Japanese. Many towns and cities will have festivals attached to the cherry blossoms with the cherry trees lit with lanterns. The atmosphere is amazing, especially the smell of Japanese festival food from yatai (street stalls) drifting through the night air. These colourful stalls sell all kinds of delicious Japanese festival food such as yakisoba, takoyaki, taiyaki and grilled corn on the cob to name just a few of the tasty goodies on offer.
It is always sad to see the cherry blossoms start to fall when they float through the air like soft snow. It signals the end of another cherry blossom season and the start of the warmer months in Japan.
Armadas, a video production company based in Japan recently released a stunning 8K video which captures the beautiful spring scenery of Japan in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture and Shinshiro and Toyokawa in Aichi Prefecture. Check it out for a glimpse of the beauty of this season.
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