Spring Cherry Blossoms

Spring is here - well and truly here. Gone are the days of the 7:20 a.m. sunrise! Today, sunrise is at 5:39 a.m.; and I am waiting for it. The sky was light this morning by 5:15. That is a refreshing change from the dark days of winter.

A spring custom in Japan is to do hanami - literally, flower viewing. The sakura (cherry blossoms) are the prime symbol of spring, and, like so much else in life, their beauty is fleeting.

With a keen sense of the transience of life, the Japanese usually gather under cherry trees in a scenic area (a park, along a river, etc...) with their friends or family, and simply enjoy looking at the cherry blossoms. Just one or two more weeks and the sakura should be blooming here in little Susono, and perhaps we can do our own hanami.

Here is a photo of an early blooming cherry tree in Izu: