花見Hanami ; The way of enjoying Sakura-Cherry blossoms in Japan
Sakura reminds Japanese of many scenes we experienced
Japanese have distinctive images to Sakura, which is different from the feelings to other flowers, not only just its pink color’s beautifulness but many things. As I described in the previous post namely “Sakura in Japan; Cherry blossoms”, most of us Japanese love it and the full of Sakura blossoms make us remember the scenes in the younger age when people had ever spent with friends former teaches as well as many things which we experienced in the school premises where Sakura bloom in spring. In most of schools in Japan, Sakura trees are planted which warmly watch out students from the grounds. But sometimes its short life with full-bloomed beautifulness are associated with the sad story, the short life of young pilots of Kamikaze, in the World War II.
However nowadays in March and April, Sakura bloom everywhere in Japan and make people visiting the Sakura picturesque spots feel the transaction from the bitter cold winter to the warm sunny spring with prosperous happy feeling.
While the way of enjoying Sakura may differ from one another, one of the typical styles is “お花見O-Hana-mi”. Let me talk about it.
花見 Hana-Mi
Although this Japanese word can be directly translated in English “watching flowers”, in the case of Hana-Mi, “Hana(flowers)” indicated “Sakura;cherry blossoms” and “Mi” (watching)” consists of enjoying and eating with drink. People are walking under the Sakura trees with white-pink petals together with friends or families under the warm sunshine, some sit down under the trees and eat some foods in the picnic atmosphere.
You can see the scene in Tokyo UENO park, Asakusa Sumida River waterfront, Chidori-Ga-Fuchi near the Imperial Palace which are most famous Sakura beaty places in Tokyo. Not only in Tokyo but almost any places in whole Japan you can see the scenes of Hanami or you can also enjoy the Sakura party.
Who hold and join Hanami?
Many Japanese, families, group of young people, business people of companies and others hold the Hanami in the Sakura season. Hanami held by family members look like the scene of picnics in the open fields in the sunny days. I enjoyed Hanami with my children and grandchildren in the park near my house in the season of Sakura where similar group of families also did Hanami picnic.
In the famous Hanami spots in the cities such as UENO park, as the day ebbs away, the sort of Hanami group shift to the group of students and business people, then the party’s drinks shift to alcohol beverage. As the famous Sakura places provide lighting facilities in order for Sakura to be seen in the night, it is also convenient for the people holding it at night and brighten the atmosphere of Hanami party, and in consequence the volume of alcohol increases.
Secure the space for Hanami in advance
As explained above, Hanami party could be seen everywhere in Japan. As for the company gathering of night Hanami party in the popular Hanami spots, the company or the department may send staff to the candidate area, usually rookies, to ensure for Hanami night party because many groups of people have Hanami party during the short period, one week or so, of full blooming.
I remember in my rookie days about 50 years ago that I went to and stay in the UENO park located near the office I worked from the morning time until my colleague came in the evening of Hanami commencing. As far as I can see the TV news reporting, the same company habit still remains nowadays.
The sight of night Hanami
Tokyo Metropolitan UENO High School I graduated from is located north-west in UENO park, one of the most famous Sakura spots, The UENO Zoological Garden, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science and other cultural institutions are also in this area, one of the most famous cultural park.
When I was a student, on the way to the school I used to have fresh feeling from the quietness of the cultural atmosphere in the early morning, but only in the Hanami season, it was destroyed by the alcoholic smell remained throughout the night with the pile of garbage. Such regrettable mood might make not only people including me passing through the park, but Sakura itself felt down. Now the case is same as I felt. I strongly request people having the night Sakura Hanami not to drink too much alcohol. I am proud of the Japanese manner of cleaning described in the post “clean street, clean shops and clean Japan”, but I lament such too-much-alcohol Hanami party.
Sakura as a marketing tool
Although it is the fact that there is a problem of garbage after the Hanami party, having snacks or meals with watching Sakura is a habit that many Japanese feel enjoyable, so many restaurants, coffee shops and hotels located in the Sakura picturesque spots offer the special menus and events related to Sakura, which now have become a kind of marketing tool, “Sakura” is a key word of business success in spring.
In order to find a restaurant or hotels which has the special event or menu in spring in Japan, you can easily find it by searching on the WEB by the words “花見 スペシャルメニュー (Hanami special menu) ” . Please try it !
Derivation of Hanami
Hanami, a field party with watching Sakura, has a quite a long history back to Heian Era. There is the ancient document describing that the Emperor Saga( 809- 823 on the throne) had held the “花宴ka-en (flower banquet) ” in Kyoto Shin-Sen-En on 8th of March 812, it is the oldest document mentioned the word of Hanami. In the ancient days the main objective of Hanami was “梅Ume(Japanese plum flower)” whose shape is similar but a bit smaller and its season of blooming is few weeks earlier, as the “万葉集Man-Yo-Shu(the oldest Japanese poetry anthology in late 7th to early 8th century)” collected the Japanese style poem featuring Hanami of Ume flowers. It is considered the main player of Hanami had changed from Ume to Sakura in Heian Era(9th to 12th century) as “源氏物語Genji-Monogatari(Japanese oldest romance novel in 11th century) shows the scene of Hanami featuring Sakura cherry blossoms.
The most famous and largest scale of Hanami is said to be “醍醐の花見 Daigo-no-Hanami” held at the back field of 醍醐寺Daigo-ji temple by 豊臣秀吉(Toyotomi Hideyoshi ; 1537-1598), the top of Samurai having governed the whole Japan in the late 16th Century, had climbed up the social ladder from a farmer to the legend. Daigo-no-Hanami was the symbol of his vast power, where almost of the loads in Japan, their families , subordinate samurai were invited in about 1300 people.
H2) Hanami among ordinary people
Hanami, which had been conducted by higher position of the social hierarchies such as aristocracy and samurai loads, prevailed to the ordinary people in the early 18th century as a result of the planting of Sakura by the 8th Shogun of Tokugawa Government, 徳川吉宗Tokugawa Yoshimune, in some areas in Edo(current Tokyo),Sumida riverside and Asuka-Yama and etc. In this era the development of the key roads constructed throughout Japan made people travel easily and personal exchange made information and technology about Sakura planting, then Hanami culture had been spread to whole country.
Summary
Sakura and Hanami tell us Japanese that spring is coming after the bitter winter season and make us feel the warmth of spring which may incline us to have bright future with dream-come-true. I believe that Hanami is the celebratory feast for such Japanese feeling. If you have a chance to come to Japan in Sakura’s season, I recommend you to visit the Sakura picturesque place and hold the Hanami under the cherry trees, so I’m sure that you can make yourself comfortable and happy. One thing, please do not forget that act with restraint and keep a good manner.
