(Spring) Cherry Blossom Front
The cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan. In a band of warmer weather moving south to north and beginning in late February in Okinawa, the cherry blossom front usually reaches Hokkaido in June whilst centering the nation's interest during this season on the approach of their own cherry blossom season. While the cherry tree and buds are indeed initially modest in appearance, when in full bloom the blossoms are truly splendid and as gorgeous as gorgeous can be. Their zenith lasts for but a few days however, and the resulting shedding of the petals can look like a pink tinged snowstorm. Associated very closely with human mortality, the Japanese have long identified the ephemeral life of the flowers with the tragically short lifespan of so many famous and not so famous Japanese and by extension one finds in Japan the graceful acceptance of falling while in one's prime. Dedicated viewers of the cherry blossom front travel south to north with the front, at times boasting to others how many times and to where they have gone on cherry blossom tours that particular year.
Yoshinoyama Mountainous Area / A Panoramic scroll of beautiful cherry blossomsThis is without doubt the most famous cherry blossom viewing site in Japan. 30,000 cherry trees cover Mt. Yoshinoyama, its shrines, temples and the ancient castle town in a thick layer of fragrant blooms although there is a time lag between the opening of the tree's buds depending on the altitude they are located at on the mountainside. However, this effect allows visitors a month to enjoy the sight.
Mount Fuji and Cherry BlossomsCherry trees can be found everywhere in Japan but especially so around castle ruins, the banks of rivers and lakes and in parks and school yards. Try and find your own, favorite cherry blossom viewing spot.
Cherry Viewing at Ueno Park During the cherry blossom season, the 620,000 sq. meters of Ueno Park are crammed daily by around a million people enjoying their stroll beneath the pink canopy of cherry blossoms. The sight of countless office workers, families and groups of friends savoring the spring evening's ambience under the blossoms is quite a spectacle.
Kakunodate and Cherry Blossoms Old warlord mansions line both sides of Kakunodate street for a distance of some 500 meters and cherry blossoms can be spotted from just outside the surrounding walls of these mansions, giving off an image that the flowers are attempting to recount the lives of the once resident samurai during the now long past Edo period.
Hirosaki Castle and its Cherry Blossoms Hirosaki Castle has a history stretching back 400 years and is considered one of the nation's best places for cherry blossom viewing with its 5000 cherry trees surrounding the remains of the castle. A Cherry Blossom Festival is held from the end of April to the beginning of May each year.
Yoshinoyama Mountainous Area / A Panoramic scroll of beautiful cherry blossomsThis is without doubt the most famous cherry blossom viewing site in Japan. 30,000 cherry trees cover Mt. Yoshinoyama, its shrines, temples and the ancient castle town in a thick layer of fragrant blooms although there is a time lag between the opening of the tree's buds depending on the altitude they are located at on the mountainside. However, this effect allows visitors a month to enjoy the sight.
Mount Fuji and Cherry BlossomsCherry trees can be found everywhere in Japan but especially so around castle ruins, the banks of rivers and lakes and in parks and school yards. Try and find your own, favorite cherry blossom viewing spot.
Cherry Viewing at Ueno Park During the cherry blossom season, the 620,000 sq. meters of Ueno Park are crammed daily by around a million people enjoying their stroll beneath the pink canopy of cherry blossoms. The sight of countless office workers, families and groups of friends savoring the spring evening's ambience under the blossoms is quite a spectacle.
Kakunodate and Cherry Blossoms Old warlord mansions line both sides of Kakunodate street for a distance of some 500 meters and cherry blossoms can be spotted from just outside the surrounding walls of these mansions, giving off an image that the flowers are attempting to recount the lives of the once resident samurai during the now long past Edo period.
Hirosaki Castle and its Cherry Blossoms Hirosaki Castle has a history stretching back 400 years and is considered one of the nation's best places for cherry blossom viewing with its 5000 cherry trees surrounding the remains of the castle. A Cherry Blossom Festival is held from the end of April to the beginning of May each year.
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