#49 Sakura (Cherry blossoms) in Japan
My obsession with cherry blossoms and on Sakura bike ride
It is a bit odd question, but what is your obsession? The recent obsession for the Japanese is WBC=World Baseball Classic, in which Japan made the progress to the semifinal in the States. It was one of a few great chances to see big players such as Ohtani (Angels) and Darbish (Padres) playing in Japan. Not only serious baseball fans but also ordinary sports fans were crazy about it. I am sure there must have been lots of impromptu fans who popped up.
My obsession is cherry blossoms, as you may have already guessed. Global warming in recent years has been so sinister that the Japanese sense of the seasons is confused by the timing of cherry blossoms. When I was small, cherry trees started blooming around the time of the new school year. It was after one week in April, and memorial photos of new students used to be under the full bloom of cherry trees. But the starting time of cherry blossoms comes earlier and earlier. This year, Tokyo recorded the earliest cherry blossom bloom since statistics began on the 14th of March. The cherry blossoms will be in full bloom in just a week, on the 23rd of March. The spring landscape has been transformed in many places as the pink flower starts to bloom on cherry trees that until now had only branches. The area where the cherry blossoms bloom does not necessarily move in parallel with latitude, but areas will move northwards over the next two months.
Well, I wrote too much for a preface, but this week I will write about “Sakura” which means cherry trees in Japanese from different aspects.
What the cherry tree means to the Japanese
First of all, I confess that I am obsessed with cherry blossoms, but I would say most Japanese are obsessed with cherry blossoms more or less. The Japanese media focus on the date and the place of the first cherry blossom blooming. You may wonder why Japanese people give them special treatment. There could be many reasons why this is the case. I think that there are two major reasons.
Cherry blossoms are a symbolic flower that blooms in spring in Japan when everything starts to move after a long and hard winter. It’s also the beginning of the new school year and fiscal year.
In Japan, this transience has been an aesthetic at the heart of the Japanese people for more than 1,000 years, as evanescence has been mentioned frequently in waka poems. Cherry blossoms fall in the blink of an eye within about two weeks of blooming, which may be in keeping with the Japanese aesthetic.
Characteristics of a cherry tree
Most of the cherry trees you see in the street in Japan are “Someiyoshino” which is said to be a clone of “Ohshimazakura” and “Edohigan”. Someiyoshino is said to have been propagated by cuttings and grafting in the suburbs of Edo, where gardening was popular at the time, from the middle to the end of the Edo period and spread rapidly during the Meiji era.
Someiyoshino grows fast and starts blooming from a young age, it was suitable for castle ruins, parks and rows of trees throughout Japan. That’s why you see lots of cherry trees in the form of rows on the street.
The timing of blooming for Someiyoshino is nearly the same, and this is the major reason why it all looks so spectacular in places.
On the other hand, Someiyoshino is said to have low disease resistance due to its clonal nature, and there have been instances of sudden death. This could be one of the reasons you don’t get to see giant cherry trees.
Notes on growing cherry trees
There is an important point if you love cherry trees and want to grow them at home. Someiyoshino which is the majority of cherry trees in Japan is not suitable for growing at home due to the following reasons.
Cherry tree grows too fast and too big.
Cherry tree roots grow shallowly and widely horizontally, which may affect the foundations of the home building and neighbors.
Caterpillars such as the American White Caterpillar occur from the rainy season to early autumn.
Cherry trees are susceptible to disease and fungus, so care must be taken when pruning.
Considering the size and density of Japanese households, it is not impossible to plant and grow cherry trees if you choose the right species. There are several species which will suit Japanese households. But I prefer to go out on the street. Fortunately, in my locality, there is a beautiful row of cherry trees, mainly Someiyoshino. When the season comes, I am very busy checking the weather forecast and taking pictures even though photos come out nearly the same every year. What I love as the best part of this season is after the full bloom of cherry blossoms.
When I am amid petals falling like a snowstorm after the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the short-lived transience of cherry blossoms makes me feel indescribable, and I realize spring. If you are visiting Japan at this particular time of the year, you are so lucky. Assuming that you book the flight and hotel many months before, it is very difficult to catch the right timing of the blooming season. I hope you’ll make the most of it, and if you are going to visit Japan later, it’s not too late to catch up. Travel up to the north as the movement of blooming. You’ll be still able to enjoy it even in May if you are ready to travel to Hokkaido.
Sakura forecast
The followings are the latest “Sakura Forecast” issued by JWA in English. The blooming timing is much earlier than the average year, and I’m afraid that you may not see the cherry blossoms in central Tokyo in April. There are several days’ gaps between central Tokyo and the western suburb in Tokyo.
Sakura bike ride
This is a notice for those who live in the Tokyo area. I am going to hold a cherry blossom observing bike ride on Saturday the 25th of March for a limited number of subscribers. The event may be subject to change due to the weather since the weather forecast doesn’t look too good.
Please reply to this newsletter or reach out to me via Twitter( @japanatoz88) Up to "4" participants will be invited to attend the event in the order of their posts. For safety reasons on the route, I will limit the number of participants to four this time. The details are as follows
Tama Riverbank Cherry Blossom Ride
Date: 25th of March, Saturday
Calling time: 10:00 AM
Calling place: Outside ticket barrier at Ushihama Station (JR Ome Line)
Entry Fee: 3,000 Yen (bike rental & insurance included)
Break up point: Kunitachi Station (JR Chuo Line)
Break-up time: Approximately 1:00 PM
Remarks:
*Bring your drinks and snacks to take on the way.
*The total distance will be approximately 20km.
*The bike will be an electrically power-assisted bicycle from Hello Cycling.
*I will make all the arrangements for bikes.
*Please state in a comment message if you have your helmet and bring it.
*The entry fee will be collected at the site.
I'm afraid this year we may have a disastrous cherry blossom-viewing season, what with all those rainy days starting from the 22nd. I hope the weather is going to change at the last moment. Yesterday I went for a walk along the Onda River near my house and the flowers were just starting to come out.
In the past, my obsession was films. I used to go to the cinema every week, sometimes twice a week. My current obsession is walking, specifically following the route of the Tokyo subways lines. I have walked four so far.
My daughter just sent me pictures of sakura at Ueno Park and I could NOT believe the crowds! Everyone had spread their picnic blankets right next to each other. I think your bike ride will be a much nicer way to experience the sakura!