How Did Cherry Blossom Viewing Start in Japan?
Doesn’t everyone love hanami (flower viewing)? Around spring, sakura (cherry blossoms) are blooming in Tokyo and much of Japan’s lower half. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, it isn’t recommended that you and your friend gather on a blue tarp and drink under the pretty pinktrees this year. Still, there is always next year for hanami. That’s part of the beauty of cherry blossoms. Their very existence is temporary. But how did flower viewing even start? It seems as normal a thing to do in Japan as reading manga or renting a goat. Let’s take a quick look at the history and culture surroundin...