Usuzumi Sakura Cherry Blossom

Usuzumi Sakura is one of the oldest cherry blossom trees in Japan and is said to have been planted in 487 AD. It can be found in Neo village, which is located amongst the beautiful mountains of Gifu Prefecture.

The tree is said to be one of the three largest cherry blossom trees in Japan and is reported to be the oldest cherry blossom tree in Japan. This unique cherry blossom initially sprouts pale pink flowers, which become white in full bloom. The tree has been appointed as a National Natural Monument of Japan and is one of the great places to visit in Gifu Prefecture.

Miyajima Travel Guide

Image from JNTO

Miyajima is a 40 minute trip by tram and ferry from downtown Hiroshima. Most people know Miyajima for its famous giant torii gate, which seems to float on top of the water. The island has been deemed a sacred place since ancient times and is now classified as a “Special Place of Scenic Beauty” in Japan.

The first thing you notice on arrival are the welcoming committee of deer. Several hundred deer roam freely on the 30sq km island, attaching themselves to tourists, who supply them with food.

Miranda Kerr in Japanese Commercial for Lipton Limone Lemon Tea

Australia's own supermodel Miranda Kerr features in a new Japanese commercial (CM) for Lipton Limone Lemon Tea. The CM is very funny and quite catchy.

In the commercial, Miranda plays a singing waitress and actually sings in Japanese, but look out for the cute "oishii" at the end.

Cherry Blossom Forecast 2012

This year’s cherry blossom forecast is later than previous years with most places in Japan expecting a late March blooming date. This is most likely due to the colder weather experienced this year in Japan.

The best time for viewing the cherry blossoms varies between a few days to a few weeks from the first bloom, so don’t leave it too late to see the beautiful blossoms.

I have created a table below for the major places in Japan with the estimate start date and peak bloom of the cherry blossoms.

Spring Equinox Day (shunbun no hi)

Today March 20th is Spring Equinox Day or Shunbun no hi (春分の日) in Japan. This national holiday was first established in 1948 as a day to admire nature and the love of living things. The holiday occurs on the date of the vernal equinox in Japan Standard Time and usually falls on March 20 or 21.

The three days immediately before and after Shunbun no hi is a seven day period called the spring equinoctial week or higan in Japanese. It is a boundary marking the end of winter coldness.

Japanese Song of the Week Makeoshimi Congratulations by SDN48

This week's Japanese Song of the Week is Makeoshimi Congratulations (負け惜しみコングラチュレーション) by SDN48, which has debuted at number 2 on the Japanese J-Pop Oricon charts.

SDN48 which is short for Saturday Night 48 is a Japanese idol girl group formed in 2010.

Read more about SDN48

Easy to Cook Japanese Recipe Kinoko-gohan (Mushroom Rice)

Image from Blue Lotus

This Month’s Easy to Cook Japanese Recipe is Kinoko gohan, which is a quick and easy dish to make at home.

This is one of our family favourites and is really tasty with all those great Japanese mushrooms like Enoki and Shitake.