Spring. The famous national flower of Japan, cherry blossom or sakura, starts to bloom and shows a beautiful sight of Japan with pink and whites. Japan has a tradition of Hanami (flower viewing) during this mid season. Groups of people gather under the blooming sakura, eating, drinking, singing and appreciating the beauty of sakura.
Besides cherry blossoms, it is quite so the season of departing. Not only students, but also social workers often change workplaces. It is not an easy for most students to be seperated from their classmates who have been with them for a long time. But if we set aside the sorrow, there are also anticipated people that will encounter a new meeting. For it is middle schoolers that got into high school, or those who graduate university and are going to be a new member of the society, they will have a lot of mixed emotions like uneasiness and expectations. This is the season for a new start.
Visit Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture, one of the best spots for cherry blossoms in Japan.
Hirosaki City in Aomori prefecture is located in the northern tip of the main Honshu island. Hirosaki Castle and its cherry blossoms are known as one of the best scenic spots in Japan, listed in the “100 best spots for cherry blossoms in Japan” selected by the government, “Japan’s 100 scenic spots where people and nature blend in harmony” and “Japan’s Top 100 Castles”. Cherry trees were first planted around Hirosaki Castle 300 years ago . It is said that the population of trees was devastated at one time, but the number of trees has increased over the last 100 years thanks to donations from many people, making Hirosaki Castle as beautiful as it is now. The “Hirosaki Sakura-Matsuri” cherry blossom festival is held at Hirosaki Park from late April to early May every year when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The park bustles with people enjoying rental boats, stalls and the illumination of cherry blossoms at night.
Umeboshi is fermented plum which taste sour and salty. Umeboshi is served as whole, dried whole, paste and vinegar. And because plums contain a lot of natural citric acid, it is very effective in terms of health such as recovery from fatigue and aging by eating every day. As plum starts to bloom in March, the umeboshi can be seen when the weather starts to get warmer in the beginning of spring.
Umeboshi: A mood for spring
