Sakura

Sakura is so popular in Japan that it could be the symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun. Hundreds and thousands of different types of cherry trees have been planted in gardens and parks in the main cities of the country. Every respectable village considers it a duty to have its own sakura alley. When the time comes, sakura bloom all over Japan from south to north, beginning in late January in tropical Okinawa and finishing blooming in late May in Hokkaido. Delicate pink petals swirl in gardens and parks, along riverbanks, around Buddhist temples and samurai castles, painting the slopes of Mount Fuji and other Japanese volcanoes in their unique spring colors.

The most widespread type of sakura in Japan is Somei-Yoshino, in which the flowers open long before the leaves. At the peak of flowering, clusters of flowers form on bare branches. Entering such a sakura forest gives one the feeling of being in a soft pink cloud. Apparently, this is exactly what the Japanese wanted to achieve when they began planting sakura across the country in the mid-19th century.

Buy cheap tickets to Japan from trips.az. Few people know that in Japan, sakura is considered a male flower, a symbol of courage and heroism, a symbol of the samurai. The petals of the Japanese cherry blossom, while still full of life, are shed without wilting, creating a metaphor for the Japanese warrior-samurai ready to sacrifice his life at the peak of his powers. Because of this, some of the best places for hanami (sakura viewing) are the gardens and parks around Samurai Castles. Here, in places like Matsue Castle or Hirosaki Castle, the first sakura trees were planted 300 years ago, and the famous sakura festival is held every year, Aomori harbor.

Due to great public interest, the Japan Meteorological Agency provides information on the beginning and stages of cherry blossoms in various regions of the country in addition to the usual forecasts.
The bloom usually starts in late January to early February in Okinawa and then moves north with spring. At the beginning of April, full bloom is observed on the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, at the end of March sakura blooms in Tokyo, in the first ten days of April in Kyoto and Osaka, in mid-April in Sakiminato and Matsue. At the beginning of May, the wave of sakura bloom reaches the island of Hokkaido, the cities of Hakodate and Sapporo.
The whole country is watching the sakura move north. After the weather forecast on TV, there is definitely information about where the sakura is in full bloom and where it will bloom in the coming days.