Todd Jay Leonard, Blog
My favorite activity in Japan, every year, is "hanami" (cherry blossom viewing). The area where I live always enjoys cherry blossom season around Golden Week, a series of national holidays that occur at the end of April and the beginning of May.
Commencing in March, from south to north, all across Japan, cherry trees blossom, and an annual ritual takes place Ethe viewing of the blossoms while eating and drinking from beneath their branches.
If there were a list of customs and rituals that Ewhen combined Eformed the soulEof Japan, cherry blossom viewing parties certainly would rank high on the list. Colleagues from universities and schools, coworkers from companies, members of clubs and just about any other combination of people gather to enjoy the delicate pink blossoms swaying over their heads.
In companies, the new recruits are sent out early in the morning on the appointed day to scout out the best spots for viewing. Large plastic sheets are spread out and anchored down in preparation for the big event. The young staff members then guard the spot the entire day until nightfall when their coworkers arrive with the food and copious amounts of alcohol.
If the food isn`t carried in by the attendees, it is often catered by one of the many restaurants or bars that do a booming business during this season. Besides viewing the blossoms, the main attraction is to drink beer while eating traditional foods.
As the night progresses, inevitably someone will stand up to do an impromptu dance or to sing a song. In fact, some groups even tote portable karaoke machines so they can sing to their heartsEcontent.
Usually after several hours, the party moves on to a "niji kai" or second party held at a pre-designated bar or pub, allowing everyone to continue their partying until the wee hours of the morning. Often, a viewing party will take place on a work night, so the blossom viewers are often a little worse for wear when they drag into their offices the next morning.
My first blossom viewing party was attended by teachers and staff at the board of education office where I worked. The organizers had thought of every detail. In anticipation of the likely hangovers, they gave everyone an energy drink which is widely used here as a cure-all for the morning after. Amazingly, not one person called in sick, and no one complained about having a headache. There must be something to those energy drinks.
University students can sometimes go overboard with the drinking aspect, because the cherry blossom season occurs shortly after classes begin in April. Too often, excessive drinking leads to alcohol poisoning, so ambulances stand by ready to assist in any over-indulgence that may occur or to assist in other types of medical emergencies.
Every year, city offices place posters in and around university campuses to warn of the dangers of overdrinking. A game which educators certainly discourage students from participating in is called "iki, iki" where students are goaded into drinking their entire drinks in one gulp--a sure way to get drunk really fast to a point of no return.
Remarkably, though, with the high number of really inebriated people stumbling about, everyone is quite orderly and fisticuffs are actually quite rare. Normally, the various groups take good care of those who are in their charge, making sure they get home in one piece.
The custom of cherry blossom viewing has a long history in Japan. During the Heian period (from the eighth to the 12th centuries), hanamiEparties were very popular with upper-class society and the aristocracy. Eventually, the custom spread among the common people during the Edo period (1568-1600), which still continues today.
Japan is a nation obsessed during this well-anticipated season. It is interesting to watch news reporters who are sent out to find the best viewing spots around Japan, interviewing people and then reporting live on the status of the blossoms. Nightly newscasts show the gradual progression of the flowering blossoms each day by delicately shading a map of Japan in pink indicating where the blossoms have begun to flower.
The blossoms have come and gone in the south of Japan and are about to bloom in the northern-most part of the country. Luckily for me, the city where I live EHirosaki Eboasts one of the most spectacular cherry blossom festivals in the country.
People from all over Japan make their way here every year to stroll through the park where Hirosaki castle is located, to enjoy this once-a-year spectacle just as the samurai of yesteryear did. Literally, there are thousands of cherry trees around this medieval castle and moat that are as old as the castle itself.
This year`s blossom viewing has an added treat for me. After years of describing in minute detail this most unique and wonderful attraction, an old and dear friend from Shelbyville EChris Wissing Efinally made the long trek from Indiana to my little corner of the world in order to see for herself this most splendid display of Mother Nature.
As we leisurely strolled through the many pathways lined with trees in full bloom, Chris paused momentarily to gaze at the sea of pink flowers that made a canopy-like tunnel over our heads that extended for what seemed like an eternity. She said, "You know, there are no words to accurately describe what we are seeing. It`s beyond beautiful." All I could say was, "Itold you so."
By TODD JAY LEONARD
Columnist
Cherry blossoms in Japan are a sight to behold
Monday, May 8, 2006
