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The Gift of Trees

Symbols of International Friendship

On March 27, 1912, two women-First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador to the United States-symbolically planted two cherry trees in Washington, DC. The trees were among 3,000 cherry trees that were being presented by the Japanese to the American people as a gift of friendship.

Today, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, commemorating the gift of cherry trees and the long friendship between the United States and Japan, is among the nation's greatest springtime celebrations, attracting more than a million visitors every year. In 2012, the 100th Anniversary of the Gift of Trees will mark the historic occasion with a five-week extravaganza featuring world-class entertainment and a number of events. It will be held March 20 to April 27, almost a year after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit northern Japan and brought an outpouring of support from across the United States.

Celebrations will include a performance stage for talent from around the world, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade with its spectacular floats and performers, a kite festival on the National Mall, a fireworks show, a two-day family festival complete with hands-on exhibits and youth performances, and the Sakura Matsuri, one of the largest Japanese cultural festivals in the United States, with martial art demonstrations, J-Pop performers, and Japanese food. Art lovers won't want to miss the National Art Gallery's special exhibit, Colorful Realm of Living Beings, a set of 30 hanging scrolls of birds and flowers exquisitely painted on silk by Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), exhibited in its entirety for the first time ever outside of Japan.

Those unable to attend the Centennial Celebration can still pick up a souvenir of the historic event-official Cherry Blossom Centennial Forever stamps released by the United States Postal Service. Two stamps, which when placed side by side provide a panoramic view of cherry trees blossoming around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, are testimony to the enduring friendship between the United States and Japan, which has been blossoming and growing for more than a century.

Famous Places for Viewing Cherry Blossoms in Japan

In Japan, the blossoming of cherry trees signals the end of winter and the birth of spring. Although the season for cherry blossoms (sakura) can vary from year to year, it usually begins in Okinawa around the end of January, travels through Kyushu and Honshu from the middle of March and into April and reaches Hokkaido by early May.

The viewing of cherry blossoms (called ohanami in Japanese) is embraced by the entire nation. Everyone has their favorite ohanami spot, whether it's along the banks of rivers or canals, on castle grounds, around shrines and temples, in public parks, and even cemeteries. There are some places, however, that are especially famous for their cherry trees, drawing thousands of visitors when the blossoms put on their special show.

One of the most well-known viewing spots is Mt. Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, which is covered with some 30,000 cherry trees that color its slopes. The island of Miyajima, a World Heritage Site famous for its Itsukushima Shrine, offers the added bonus of cherry trees near the shrine and elsewhere. Another popular spot surrounded by harmonious nature is Maruyama Koen, Kyoto's premier spot for cherry blossom viewing and famous for its huge weeping cherry tree that's lit at night. For strolls, popular recommendations include the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto, a canal lined with cherry trees; Chidorigafuchi near the Imperial Palace moat; and Kakunodate, a castle town in Tohoku with cherry trees along its picturesque street lined with samurai homes and its riverbank.

Unsurprisingly, historic settings with backdrops of cherry trees also draw huge crowds. Many of Japan's most well-known castles are famous also for their cherry blossoms. Most famous is probably Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture, with more than 2,500 cherry trees of many varieties gracing its grounds and site of an annual cherry blossom festival held in early May. Its groves of trees are so dense, branches form bright pink tunnels overhead and petals fill castle moats.

Other castle grounds attracting crowds include Nago Castle (Okinawa), Kumamoto Castle, Matsumoto Castle, Matsue Castle, Himeji Castle, Osaka Castle, Nagoya Castle, and Kasumiga Castle in Fukushima Prefecture. Shrines that are popular viewing spots include Heian Shrine in Kyoto with its beautiful garden, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura, and Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

In short, virtually every place in Japan with cherry trees is likely to find admirers. Simply getting out in nature after a long winter is the impetus; enjoying the outing with friends and viewing the beautiful blossoms are the bonus.

For more information, visit Japan National Tourism Organization website.

Cherry Trees In Japan

Although many people may be familiar with the popularity of viewing cherry blossoms in Japan, they may not know that it's not just one kind of blossom we're talking about. In fact, more than 100 different varieties of cherry trees grow in Japan, some of them wild, but most of them cultivated to create forms and hues just for our viewing pleasure. What's more, some of them bloom earlier or later than others, extending the season for viewing cherry blossoms (called ohanami in Japan).

The different characteristics of the various cherry trees can be dramatic or subtle. Some rise straight up, others have spreading branches, and others are called weeping cherry trees because of their cascading, hanging branches similar to weeping willows. While many of the varieties have five petals, others have 20, and even 50 or more petals on just one blossom. And while pink is the color that comes to mind for cherry blossoms, in truth they can range from white to yellow and even green. Blossoms may even change color as they age, starting out as white and then slowly turning pink.

One trait that makes most blooming cherry trees so startlingly captivating is that their branches are still void of leaves, making their flowers the only stars of the show. Late-blooming trees, on the other hand, usually grow their leaves first, making for an entirely different image. As for blooming season, most varieties bloom in spring, though other varieties don't bloom until weeks later, and some highly cultivated varieties are developed to bloom in autumn.

That being said, the most common cherry tree in Japan is the 5-petal Somei Yoshino, cultivated since the Edo Period (1603-1867), while the Yamazakura is a wild cherry tree native to Japan and commonly seen on mountain slopes. Yaezakura refers to cherry trees with more than five petals and are known for their large blossoms. The Shidarezakura (weeping cherry tree) is the drama queen of the cherry trees, with beautifully arching branches that take center stage when lit at night.

Needless to say, there are some cherry trees in Japan that have celebrity status. The Miharu Takizakura, a "waterfall" weeping cherry tree in Fukushima Prefecture, is more than 1,000 years old and became a symbol of hope and renewal after the 2011 earthquake. In Kyoto's Maruyama Koen park, there's an ancient shidarezakura weeping willow that draws huge crowds when it blooms, especially when lit at night.

Ohanami - The Viewing of Cherry Blossoms

Nothing heralds the birth of spring in Japan more than the blossoming of cherry trees. Bursting forth in spectacular shows of shimmering pink, the beautiful blossoms have been celebrated in literature, song, and art. Lasting about a week, the blossoms symbolize the transient nature of our own existence and the cycle of life. In fact, the Japanese are so attuned to the annual viewing of flower blossoms that they have a name for it: "Ohanami."

The arrival of the cherry blossoms (sakura) has been celebrated in Japan for more than 1,000 years. Originally, sakura was associated with the planting of rice, with offerings presented to the kami (deities) who resided in the cherry trees in hopes of a good harvest. During the Heian Period (794-1192 AD), the custom of flower-viewing parties held underneath the blossoms gained favor with the imperial court in Kyoto, complete with sake, food, and poems. Later, during the Edo Period (1603-1867), the Tokugawa shogunate encouraged ohanami among the common people by planting cherry trees.

Today, the arrival of the cherry blossom season is carefully monitored by Japanese media, which provides forecasts of when flowers will be in full bloom so people can plan picnics and outings. Beginning in Okinawa and Kyushu in the south and slowly moving north all the way through Hokkaido, the cherry-blossom season brings revelers to favorite spots around the country. People come out in droves to stroll along petal-strewn walkways or to gather for food and sake under the branches of pink canopies. Photographers snap photos of the fragile blossoms like they're famous movie stars. In some places, trees are lit at night, giving them an ethereal beauty. In other words, the viewing of cherry blossoms in Japan isn't a passive activity but rather the opportunity to get together with family and friends, and visitors are welcome to join in the fun. To the Japanese, spring just wouldn't be the same without ohanami.

Cherry Blossoms - yum yum!

Viewing cherry blossoms is one of Japan's most passionate springtime activities, but there's another way to enjoy the tree-by eating them! We're not talking about cherries, since most cherry trees in Japan are cultivated for ornamental use and do not produce cherries. Rather, we're talking about other edible parts of the tree: its blossoms and leaves.

It's not unusual this time of year to find soups served in restaurants with a few cherry blossoms (sakura) floating on top. Preserved with salt and vinegar, they can also be steeped in boiling water for fragrant sakura tea. One of the most popular snacks in Japan during this time is the sakuramochi, which is pink-colored rice cake wrapped with preserved sakura leaves and filled with anko (sweet bean paste).

At ohanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties held under the pink blossoms, people bring their own food or buy food from vendors who have set up stalls to feed the hungry masses. Ohanami Bento is a special box lunch designed to evoke the spring season, both in content and visual appeal. Foods that are pink, orange or red-like shrimp, salmon, carrots, simmered kabocha (pumpkin), and sakuramochi-are popular choices, along with dango (small dumplings served on a skewer), Japanese fried chicken, and fresh mountain vegetables like wild ferns. Many families make their own Ohanami Bento, but you can also find them in food emporiums at major department stores. Otherwise, stalls set up at popular viewing sites sell the Japanese version of fast food, including takoyaki (octopus balls) and fried noodles.

Of course, most ohanami parties aren't complete without sake, which is one reason that festivities can carry on until late into the night.