Fast Facts | Japan's Cherry Blossom

1. The cherry blossom is Japan’s national flower – it symbolises renewal and hope and heralds the arrival of spring!
2. 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.
3. 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
   
   

4. In ancient Japan, cherry blossom season was used to divide the year’s harvest. 
5. 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!
6. 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/>

7. 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.
8. 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.

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