Ohanami: What Is It? (Cherry Blossom Picnics)

I wonder if cherry blossom viewing parties and picnics only occur in Japan. Do you have a similar sort of event in your country?

 Sakura, (cherry blossoms), are Japan’s national flower along with chrysanthemums. We love to go out and have a picnic or party under the fully-bloomed Sakura trees which can be seen only for about a week! This seasonal event is called “Ohanami”.


People eating, drinking (even getting a bit tipsy), chatting, singing and laughing during Ohanami….

 My family doesn’t usually have a big Ohanami party, but we do enjoy the blooms while having a small bento (a Japanese-style packed lunchbox). Unfortunately, we were not allowed to celebrate Ohanami for the past few years because of the Covid pandemic. So this year, people in Japan were very eagerly anticipating our beautiful annual event! and we were not exception and went to the park with curry rice bento from our favorite curry shop.

 There is nothing better than enjoying delicious food outside under the beautiful Sakura blooms in lovely weather!

Let’s look a bit at the history of Ohanami!

 Ohanami had already started by 700 AC (about 1300 years ago), but at that time, people admired plum blossoms instead of cherry blossoms as Ohanami. The celebration was more prestigious in those days and meant only for nobility. The times gradually changed, and the event became less formal, people of all classes could celebrate by the 1600’s, Ohanami had become an event for the everyday citizen and the style approached that of modern day.

 Why, though, do Japanese people love cherry blossoms so much? As mentioned above, Sakura is one of our two national flowers. The answer may lie in something as surprising as rice farming. Since ancient times, this has been a staple of Japanese life, and cherry trees have helped!
It was said that the God of nature (or specifically of rice paddies) resided in cherry trees, and would convey various things to people through the trees. People got to know when they should start planting the rice and how successful their harvest would be according to how the cherry trees bloomed. The changing of the cherry blossom tree were considered messages from a god to his people at that time.

Beautiful cherry trees lining rice paddies

 So as you can see, the cherry trees were incredibly important to the Japanese. Rice, and it’s cultivation, have been major parts of Japanese culture and it’s history. It’s no wonder then, that ancient people relied so heavily on the cherry trees and their signs. They have always been a major subject for Japanese writers and poets; from ancient times to modern day!

 I hope you can now see why and how Sakura are so important and integral to Japanese culture as a whole!

The terrible pandemic is over!

 Now that life is back to normal, you may consider coming to Japan sometime in the future! If so, the beautiful season of Spring might be the perfect time, as you can see these gorgeous cherry blossoms while having good traditional food in lovely weather!

 Of course, the other seasons are also great times to stay in Japan. Let’s learn about those seasons here in future writings!