Hanami in Japanese literally means “flower viewing”, although today the term refers to the activity of viewing and appreciating the cherry blossom that blooms in springtime, all over Japan. The word hanami was first introduced into the English language in 1891 by the American writer Alice Mabel Bacon. Her life was linked with Japan from the age of 14 when her father’s house was selected as a residence for Japanese women being educated in the States, and the first pupil was a Japanese girl with whom Bacon established a life-long friendship. On one of her first visits to Japan she taught English and on a subsequent visit she established the Gakushuin Women’s School. Later on in life, she adopted two Japanese girls and went on to write about her experiences of Japan and its culture in a series of books and essays. In one of these books, Japanese Girls & Women, she writes how “The hanami, or picnic to famous places to view certain flowers as they bloom in their season…forms one of the greatest of the pleasures of city people”.
Originally an activity for members of the Imperial Court dating back to the eighth century, it is a cultural experience that has been passed down the generations – from the Court elite to the Samurai class and then the common people. It may not sound like a groundbreaking experience to view cherry blossoms on a tree, but if you really want a taste of Japanese culture, hanami is the event to get involved in.
Every year, weather reports in early spring forecast the onset of the cherry blossom. The flowers start to bloom firstly in the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa, but a pattern develops whereby, over the course of a couple of weeks, this “cherry blossom front” makes its way steadily northwards until they are blossoming in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. It still might not sound particularly thrilling, but picture this: you walk into one of Tokyo’s biggest public parks, Yoyogi Koen, and every tree has a thick canopy of delicate flowers, white with a faint pink hue. As these fall off the tree, they cover the ground to create a white landscape almost as if it has snowed. This happens in all the parks, along tree-lined streets and along rivers, creating a beautiful sight that perks up even the most industrial concrete-jungle.
At this point, the hanami parties begin. Swarms of people take to public parks, armed with large blue picnic sheets, snacks and beer, and scramble for a spot underneath one of the cherry trees. Office workers will send someone down from the office in the morning to pitch their sheet and mark it with their group name, so that come the evening time, they can sit together under the tree and drink into the early hours. Hanami parties can get quite rowdy, but there is always a good atmosphere.
In addition to the hanami party, another hanami activity is to take close up shots of cherry blossom with a camera, whether it is the blossom of a solitary tree near a bus stop or of several trees by a river. For Japanese people, the blossom is not only aesthetically pleasing, but its fleeting beauty represents the very nature of life itself.
