Cherry Blossom Update 3

Fluttering, drifting, gently floating back down to earth. Mostly a few petals at a time, but occasionally a small burst of wind shakes out a temporary snow-storm. Cherry blossom season has been good to the Hanami-goers, and now the trees are putting on their final act. Petals are starting to accumulate on river banks, and green leaves are showing in the early-bloomers.

Many questions spring to mind. Is this really the end? It has all happened so quickly. Or is it the begining of something else? Are the cherry blossoms teaching us about the cycle of life and death? In Japan, one way to say "how long have I got to live" is "will I see my next Sakura tree".

This is an emotional time - the trees are crying.

However, if the cherry blossoms have taught us anything, then surely it is to celebrate life.

And what could be better to help us do that than the magical sound of the pan pipes of the Andes, electronically-amplified for our listening enjoyment?

And, like the itinerant pan-pipe player, with little more than a suitcase of CDs and a colourful poncho, surely now is a time to be thankful for what we have, and look forward to the new.

Cherry Blossom Update 2

What a difference a few days makes. From worrying about potential calamity (rain), the whole of Japan is now soaking up every minute of cherry blossoms gently warmed by golden sunshine. At any one time, there is hardly a Sakura tree in Japan not being quietly admired and recorded by phone and/or camera. Imagine the business Fujifilm had before the digital revolution.

In prominent Hanami spots, temporary stalls like this one spring up. There are some rumors concerning the character of the stall owners going around.

Here is a man walking his dog - in a pram.

And, apart from the most beautiful blossoming trees in the world, Japan is also home to ...

... meticulously sculptured evergreen trees.

Looks like those odd-shaped mountains in Vietnam, or Southern China.

And check out this handiwork:

So, essentially, with the onset of really good weather, everyone should be happy, right?

Well, actually, the office newbies who have to do the place-holding (Bashiyotori) for the Hanami party are now experiencing even more extreme conditions. One guy had to get a place at 9am for a party starting at 8pm. This is offset by the fun aspect of lying under a cherry blossom all day. This guy is doing Bashiyotori but still can't help taking pictures of the trees.

And some people are resorting to military-style organisation in order to ensure Hanami success:

Unfortunately, most people who can enjoy Hanami during the day are the unemployed and foreign tourists - Chinese with a sprinkling of Europeans and Koreans. The local Japanese, who had the foresight to plant the trees in the first place, are all at work. Even now, the Sakura tours service (poster and boat below) is busy. With some types of Sakura trees starting to shed petals already (surely this is the crescendo of the performance), the coming weekend promises an even greater frenzy of flower-looking and drinking.


However, for those people stuck indoors, or finding themselves away from a cherry blossom, there is hope. And that hope is in the form of decorating everything in pink, to ensure that everyone is in the seasonal spirit.

This department store has a "Sakura Festival". Can you tell?

Importantly, key food and drink items, such as sushi, are decorated with realistic-looking Sakura flowers.

And Asahi, one of my preferred suppliers, even has its own seasonal display stand.

Here are some chewy cakes which contain Sakura petals.

And (sorry for the picture orientation), you can even get Sakura fried rice!

Here it is - $2.60 per 100g. Only available during the season.

Here is Sakura jelly, containing real petals. Sakura icecream is also available.

And the lottery is offering a chance to win Y100M, as it is springtime.

However, one company which has decided to do a non-sakura based promotion is Pepsi. This may be because it is not Japanese. Instead, it has gone for a Snoopy-based promotion.


This is watermelon Snoopy.

And this is Fugu (Puffer Fish) Snoopy. Lets get this one.

There. The Puffer Fish doesn't seem to notice him at all.

Also, interestingly, this flower-arrangement college, Noir Hanna (Hanna=flower), is not bowing to popular cherry-blossom pressure.

Very arty.

And yet it seems to be quite popular. Is this another defensive industry - more people at home due to layoffs means a booming hobby industry?