Sakura, Sakura

Article 6 - Cherry Blossom viewing season in Japan

Many of us have heard about the Cherry Blossom viewing season that takes place at various places in the United States yearly. Japan gave a large number of Cherry Blossom trees to the United States in the year 1912 to celebrate the two nations’ then budding friendship. “Why the focus on Cherry Blossoms, you might be thinking, “when most people have heard about if not seen a Sakura tree?” That might even be why you, the reader, have skipped to this article. The truth is that to most people who see Cherry Blossoms yearly, it isn’t so much the trees that are special and notable. Instead, in Japan it is the memories of the social gatherings and drinking that takes place under the Cherry Blossoms that are both the most memorable and exhausting. I once went to a viewing that was held in Washington, DC in the West Potomac Park. I remember, as a child, that I was quite bored walking around and looking at the trees. There weren’t a large number of people and so the memory is a very bold one. Yet during my stay in Japan, I knew by the gathering excitement that things were going to be different. I waited in anticipation as the season approached. The first and most formidable surprise was the sheer number of people that roamed the streets, looking for a place under the Sakura to set down a blanket and call their friends. These scouts were not always individuals, either, but also groups of company employees sometimes numbering in the hundreds. The roar of laughter and clapping could have been heard from the next town over, I sometimes thought.

The flowers stay on the trees just long enough for a few walks, or a few bicycle rides, before dropping and littering the pathways with pink petals. The flowers bloom and wilt in different parts of the world at different times because of differences in climate and latitude, and most major news channels in Japan cover the timing of Mankai, or the time when the Cherry blossoms in the area will be at their best. The date changes yearly, and so it becomes a big topic of conversation in offices and social circles around the country. And when Mankai arrives, it is quite the sight to see. The skies become a flood of pink and people merrily jaunt about taking pictures here and there, laughing. A day like this, hardly ever a fight and where most people put aside their differences and strive for goodwill and the collaborative experience, would be a welcome addition to the ceremonies held in the United States. Of course, the plum made alcohol does play a big part in that. When the day is finished, people pack up and shamble back to their houses. They leave and the park is meticulously clean, and the only sign that people had been there is a small pile of garbage that is removed the next day by town workers. Mankai has ended.