One of the items on my life’s to-do list is to see sakuras (aka cherry blossoms) bloom in Japan. Hanami is the Japanese term for referring to the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers. This flower is usually the sakura. In my recent trip to Kyushu (九洲), I had timed it in the hope of catching the blossoms. There also happened to be a five-day weekend in Hong Kong over Easter and the Ching Ming festival, so I decided many months ago to make this trip despite the exorbitant price of air tickets and the fact that the Japanese yen is so strong. But I decided that this was something I had to do at least once in my life time and thus decided to splurge on it. Thankfully, the weather and the blossoms played their part and were there to welcome me on my second visit to Japan.


Fukuoka


A darker pink variety of sakura which I saw less often than the pale pink variety
Every year hanami is a huge thing with the Japanese. There are predictions on when the blossoms will appear and when they do, there’s huge news coverage on it every day. You also see the Japanese people having hanami parties by going to the parks and having picnics under the sakura trees.


Beppu


A white variety which is lesser seen
These delicate blossoms have been written about by Japanese poets for centuries, and were used as a metaphor for life – beautiful but transient in its beauty. Indeed, it’s not hard to see why when you see the sakuras for yourself. When the wind blows through the trees, the petals fall like soft snow, fluttering down as they let the gentle breeze take them along. The trees are in bloom for only a short time and the flowers’ petals are so fragile that a slight breeze will have some drizzling down – its subtle glory is so ephemeral. I’ve been lucky to be able to catch them in Kyushu and it’s one of the most beautiful sights I’ve beheld. I’m glad I can now tick an item off my life’s to-do list!