SAKURA

SAKURA

Sakura is the flower of the cherry trees. "Sakura" refers to the Japanese flowering cherry. Named ‘’Cherry Blossom’’ in English. サクラ（桜、櫻）は、バラ科サクラ属サクラ亜属Prunus subg. Cerasus またはサクラ属Cerasus の総称である。日本で最も知られている花の一つである

Cherry blossoms are indigenous to many East Asian states including Japan, Korea, and China. Japan has a wide variety of cherry blossoms: well over 200 cultivars can be found there.

"Hanami"花見is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms or ume blossoms. From the end of March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan. The blossom forecast (桜前線, sakurazensen, literally cherry blossom front) is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜, literally night sakura). In many places such as Ueno Park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura.

A more ancient form of hanami also exists in Japan, which is enjoying the plum blossoms (梅 ume) instead. This kind of hanami is popular among older people, because they are more calm than the sakura parties, which usually involve younger people and can sometimes be very crowded and noisy.