Spring is on its way

I’ve traded my woolly coat for a lighter jacket during the daytime, birds are singing.. and the marketing and ad industries are cashing in on the soon-to-be-blossoming blossoms to sell beer, camcorders, sake, holidays .. anything in fact.

The cherry trees start blooming in Okinawa in January, in mainland Honshu in March/ April and finally in Hokkaido in May. Cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower, and cherry-blossom viewing parties or hanami are very popular during the week or so the trees are in bloom.

April is also the start of the new school year in Japan, so blossoms are more than ever associated with renewal and fresh starts, which does perhaps makes more sense than leaves falling as we go back to school in the UK.

The Cherry Blossom Forecast

Cherry blossoms are estimated to be opening earlier than usual due to relatively warm temperatures, so the estimated day for opening is March 26th in Osaka, with the optimum cherry-viewing period estimated to be March 31st to April 7th..

I’m guessing that the parks in Osaka will be full of picknickers competing for the best viewing areas, apparently it’s common practice to arrive early in the morning to stake a claim on a prime picknicking spot, with a sheet marked with the participants names and arrival times.. Crazy..