There are several things that symbolize Japan to the Western world, but perhaps the most obvious one is the sakura or cherry blossom. A delicate pink flower that blossoms en masse in April, it is, along with the chrysanthemum (the family crest of the emperor), very close to the Japanese heart.

As the days grow warmer, parks, sidewalks, and gardens are enveloped in a pinkish haze, signalling that the hana-mi, literally meaning flower viewing, season has once again come around.

Friends and relatives gather underneath the cherry trees, drinking sake (Japanese rice wine) and eating carefully prepared bento (box lunches) or snacks. They laugh, talk, and sing with hearts as light as the spring breeze that playfully tosses the cherry petals to the ground. Truly, an experience not to be missed.日本語 (Japanese)