- The cherry blossom is Japan’s national flower – it symbolises renewal and hope and heralds the arrival of spring!
- Cherry blossom viewing is known as hanami in Japan – People often have picnics under the trees, which is a tradition that began with emperors and members of the Imperial Palace many centuries ago.
- The most iconic photos of cherry blossom typically include Mount Fuji. These are very popular postcard images!
The stunning blossoms of Japan by Dennis Bunnik - In ancient Japan, cherry blossom season was used to divide the year’s harvest.
- There are lots of gorgeous places to see the blossom – Meguro River in Tokyo and Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto, are just some of the many!
- The oldest cherry blossom tree in Japan (Jindai Zakura) is approximately 2,000 years old.
Photo Credit: skyseeker / Flickr / CC2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/>
- There are over 200 species of cherry blossom in Japan – The most popular is Somei Yoshino, which is white with the finest touch of pale pink.
- You can try cherry blossom flavoured ice-cream – Many cafes and confectionery companies release cherry blossom flavoured items during the season!
See the cherry blossom on our Japan Discovery and Discover South Korea & Japan small group tours.
