🌸 Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan
Hanami — Japan's celebrated season of transient floral beauty
📋 Fast Facts
- Peak bloom period: late March to early May across most of Japan; early February in Okinawa
- Duration: individual blossoms typically last one to two weeks
- Annual forecast issued by Japan Meteorological Agency tracking the "cherry blossom front"
- Primary activity: outdoor gatherings (hanami parties) beneath blooming sakura trees, day and night
Hanami is Japan's traditional custom of enjoying the ephemeral beauty of flowering trees, predominantly cherry (sakura) and occasionally plum (ume). The practice encompasses both the natural phenomenon of bloom and the social ritual of gathering to appreciate it. Each year, the Japan Meteorological Agency releases a blossom forecast tracking the "cherry blossom front" as it moves across the archipelago, a closely watched indicator for those planning celebrations ...