Sakura Days
© Albert BonsfillsSakura Days is a series about the Cherry Trees Blossoming (called Sakura) and the flower viewing (Hanami). The cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. When the trees bloom for a short time each year, they serve as a visual reminder of how precious and how precarious life is. Sakura involves a picnic party called Hanami to enjoy cherry blossoms as well as food and drinks with friends and/or family under the cherry tree.
Widely celebrated in Japanese literature, poetry, and art, Sakura carry layered meanings. For example, because they bloom briefly, the blossoms are often seen as a metaphor for the ephemeral beauty of living. At the same time, the joyful tradition of Hanami is an old and ongoing tradition. With people gathering in great numbers under the ideal spots throughout Japan and usually partying on until late at night. Because of its long history Hanami is deeply rooted in Japanese society encompassing people of all walks of life. This aspect of Japanese culture, the appreciation of nature, is the product of Japan's natural environment, its four distinct seasons, and the sensibilities of its people.
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