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Hanami ("flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers, flowers ("hana") in this case almost always referring to those of the cherry ("sakura") or, less frequently, plum ("ume") trees. From the end of March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan, and around the first of February on the island of Okinawa

Himeji Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan, and it was registered in 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country

Japanese natural monument “Miharu Takizakura”, Beni weeping cherry, estimated age is more than 1000

Kawazu, a town famous for the earliestcherry blossoms near Tokyo Area

Kawazu

The blossom forecast (sakura-zensen), literally cherry blossom

front) is announced each

year by the weather bureau, and is watched

carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week

or twoKawazu

In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. In some contexts the Sino-Japanese term kan'ō (view-cherry) is used instead, particularly for festivals

Osaka Castle yozakura: illuminated cherry trees in bloom in the Nishinomaru Garden

Hanami at night is called yozakura (literally night sakura). In many places such as Ueno Park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura. On the island of Okinawa, decorative electric lanterns are hung in the trees for evening enjoyment, such as on the trees ascending Mt. Yae, near Motobu Town, or at the Nakijin Castle

Sakura at the lake in Heian shrine Kyoto

A more ancient form of hanami also exists in Japan, which is enjoying the plum blossoms (ume) instead, which is narrowly referred to as umemi (plum-viewing). This kind of hanami is popular among older people, because they are calmer than the sakura parties, which usually involve younger people and can sometimes be very crowded and noisy

Utagawa Hiroshige I (Japanese, 1797–1858) Hanami in Osaka - Cherry-blossom Viewing on the Hill of the Tenjin Shrine in Yasui (Yasui Tenjinyama hanami), from the series Famous Views of Osaka (Naniwa meisho zue) Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Utagawa Hiroshige I (Japanese,

1797–1858) Views of

Mount Fuji Series 7

Utagawa Kunisada 

(Japanese, 1786 – 1865)

Viewing cherry

blossoms, woodblock

print (1852)

Sakai Hoitsu (Japanese, 1761–1828) Maples and Cherry Trees The Denver Art Museum

Utagawa Hiroshige I (Japanese, 1797–1858) Goten yama Hanami no Zu, 1847 - 1848

Utagawa Hiroshige Goten yama Hanami no Zu, fragment

The pattern on this lovely and handy tea mat is called SAKURA, or “cherry blossom” in Japanese

Cherry Blossom Viewing Picnic, ca. 1624-1644 Brooklyn Museum

 Yôshû Chikanobu (Hashimoto Chikanobu) (Japanese, 1838–1912) A triptych depicting a Hanami (flower-viewing party) in the Ōoku (harem) of the imperial palace at ChiyodaNational Diet Library Tokyo

 Yôshû ChikanobuHanami - detail

 Yôshû ChikanobuHanami - detail

Not only nation flower of Japan, the cherry blossoms are also used in the culinary industry to create the unique flavor and add beauty to the dishes.

Sakura Tea is a traditional type of Japanese tea, it is always brewed from salted petals to retain color and flavor

Sakurayu, or cherry blossom tea, is a Japanese infusion created by mixing pickled cherry blossoms with boiled water. This combination becomes a type of herbal tea, and has been enjoyed in East Asian culture for many generationsThis type of tea is often used in weddings by pure taste, elegant beauty and bringing good luck to everyone

Salt Pickled Sakura Cherry Blossoms

Salt Pickled Sakura Cherry Blossoms

The main ingredient, cherry blossoms petals, is harvested when the cherry trees bloom from mid to late spring. After the calyxes are removed, the petals are then pickled in plum vinegar and salt and the product subsequently dried. The dried cherry blossoms are then stored or sealed in tea packets and sold.

In order to produce sakurayu, a few such dried, salt-pickled blossoms must be sprinkled into a cup of hot water. Once covered in hot water, the collapsed petals unfurl and float. The herbal tea is then allowed to steep until the flavor reaches its desired intensity. The resulting drink tastes slightly salty.

There is a Japanese expression "Ocha wo Nigosu." "Ocha" is green tea, and "Nigosu" means to make unclear. So the term itself will literally translate to to make the tea cloudy. However, the meaning of this expression is to "be evasive," "be vague," or "non-committal." This denotation is why green tea is not served at weddings, but "Sakura-yu" is served as it represents "beginning," which is most appropriate for a wedding.

Recipes to keep the cherry blossoms beautiful and fresh to can be used all year as salting the flowers. Principle choose cherries to dry salt is quite strict, the flowers were blooming about 7 sections and the intact stem. Since centuries ago, the Japanese soaked cherry blossoms in apricot vinegar to preserve characteristic pink, then soaked with salt and kept for 3-4 weeks and exposed to dry. This is the traditional method to preserve intact the colors and flavors of cherry blossoms throughout the year.

A classic wagashi (tea sweet) for the season, the sakura mochi

Sakura Mochi is an indispensable cake type on each cherry blossom season. This traditional glutinous cakes made from salted petals, often sold in March, in April every year, especially in Hina matsuri festival.Sakuramochi consists of a sweet pink mochi (rice cake) and red bean paste, covered with a leaf of sakura (cherry blossom)

Sakura mochi Sakura mochi an bean paste

pen set cherry blossom wedding supplies

Flower sushi

Ice cream Towada

Sakura Udon

Sakura Yokan – agar jelly dish for hot summer days. Yokan is a kind of jelly made from Japanese traditional seaweed flour, the most common is the red beans. Each piece of Yokan like an extremely beautiful artworks, makes many people not want to eat but admire

Sakura sake alcohol

Sake has been an integral part of Hanami traditions since the very beginning and some believe a drop of sake is essential to properly appreciate the flowers.

Sakura Liquor

Sakura macaron is a great example of elegant combination between Western cuisine and Japan cuisine. The pretty small macaron cookies always in the top of the pastries are loved by Japanese youth

Not only in combination with

cakes, cherry blossoms are also

ground into the dough to be marinated

noodles to create signature pink. Cold noodles

Sakura are very popular in Japan

in summer, especially when

eaten with scrumptious soy

sauce

Kyo-yaki is made in Higashiyama area in Kyoto. It started about 1590s, developed with the popularity of tea ceremony. Formerly, Kyoto was the capital city of Japan. Therefore, first-class artists and craftsmen gathered there to work, and Kyo-yaki has the traditional taste of the court. Most of them are over enameled after sintered. One of the famous artists who stylized Kyo-yaki is Nonomura Ninsei who created the soft colored enamels for Kyo-yaki

This is a pair of Kyo-yaki (Japanese ceramics) pottery tea cups. Large cup (black) is for men and small cup (red) is for women. The elegant cherry blossom design adds more Japanese taste to it

Hanami (flower viewing)During March to May,

when the cherry blossoms bloom, it is

traditional for people to gather together under

cherry trees to drink and eat elaborate boxed lunches and enjoy

themselves. This popular activity still happens

today during lunch-times and evenings, when

delicious food is eaten, sake is drunk and everyone has fun! Tokyo

Hanami bento

Bento  is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento holds rice, fish or meat, with pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container 

A set of stacking boxes for bento called "jūbako"

Japanese bento lunch box

Bento Lunch Box with Belt, Kaga

Traditional Kimono Pattern

Miyako Odori hanami

Miyako Odori hanami

Miyako Odori hanami

Miyako Odori hanami

The Miyako Odori is a Geisha dance performance held the month of April inKyoto

Text & pictures: InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Traditional Hida folk song - Shossho 2016

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