Cherry Blossom Season in Japan

Cherry Blossom Season in Japan With the arrival of spring, flowers begin to bloom everywhere. In Japan, between March and May, cherry blossoms adorn every corner. The blooming of sakura, known as Japanese cherry trees, is celebrated with festivals throughout Japan. If you are interested in Far Eastern culture and wish to see Japan, the best time to travel would be the spring months when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Cherry blossoms, with their pink flowers, create a captivating atmosphere around them and carry important meanings in Japanese culture beyond their beauty. In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms symbolize spring's arrival and thus life, yet by falling very quickly, they also symbolize death. These flowers fall without fading in their pale pink state, and for the Japanese this represents the coexistence of life and death. According to legend, samurai would draw cherry blossom paintings before embarking on dangerous missions. In this way, they found strength to return by remembering the beauty of life and at the same time were reminded of how untimely death could be. Additionally, cherry blossoms symbolize Japan's rebirth. Japanese people believe that cherry blossoms bring them good fortune. For this reason, they postpone life-changing decisions such as starting a new job or getting married until the cherry blossom season. In fact, Japan's academic calendar begins with the blooming of cherry blossoms. For this reason, one of meteorology's tasks becomes predicting the dates when Japanese cherry trees will bloom. Sakura Festivals, called Sakura Zensen, begin with the blooming of the trees' flowers and are celebrated throughout the country. Flower viewing parties, also called "Hanami," have been organized since around 710 A.D., and during these festival times everyone is out on the streets. Open-air parties are held, Japanese families go on cherry blossom picnics together; that is, they have picnics under the cherry blossom trees and watch the sight of these flowers. Evening walks held to celebrate the blooming of cherry blossoms are called Yozakura. During Yozakura, special lighting is used to further highlight the beauty of the flowers, and the surroundings are decorated with paper lanterns. Another interesting fact about cherry blossoms is that there are specially trained experts called "Sakuramori" who care for these trees and maintain them. These specialists work to ensure the trees live longer and grow healthily. During the Cherry Blossom Festival season, food, souvenirs, and products appropriate for this period come to market. Cherry blossom-flavored sweets and beverages; if you like floral aromas, you will enjoy them. At the same time, to commemorate your trip, you can purchase clothing, cups, etc. decorated with cherry blossom patterns. The disadvantage of traveling to Japan during cherry blossom season will be the crowds. If you plan to travel during cherry blossom season; mentioning the most visited cities, Tokyo and Kyoto; Ueno Park, Yoyogi Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, Chidorigafuchi, Sumida Park, Asukayama Park, Meguro River, Inokashira Park in Tokyo; Philosopher's Path, Maruyama Park, Arashiyama, Shrine in Kyoto; are among the places where you can see these flowers. It is worth noting, however, that cherry blossom season lasts only about 1-2 weeks, so you should carefully follow the published calendars to coincide with the cherry blossom season. In Tokyo, you can meet that Japan you saw in movies; crowded streets, neon signs, technology… Kyoto is known as the city of temples; here you can see Japanese history more closely. You can visit temples and see fine examples of old Japanese architecture.

Japanese Architecture

Although high skyscrapers and buildings equipped with cutting-edge technology come to mind, traditional Japanese architecture actually began in the 5th century A.D. The influence of Chinese culture can be seen in this architecture. These examples, which we see primarily in temples, are structures made of slightly elevated wood, using tiles or thatch, with minimalism and simplicity in the foreground. One of the prominent elements in Japanese architecture is the Shoin-zukuri technique. This technique was born from Zen philosophy and is a form of Japanese residential architecture used in many places such as military mansions and temple guest halls. This architecture forms the foundation of modern Japanese homes. Buddhism, which spread in the 16th century like Zen philosophy, also influenced architecture. In Kyoto, where you can see fine examples of traditional Japanese architecture, you can visit the Tenryu-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Nanzen-Ji, and Ninnaji temples. Also in Kyoto, the Higashiyama district is an area where you can see traces of history and examine the architecture of traditional Japanese houses. Compared to Kyoto, Tokyo presents more modern and contemporary architecture. Due to the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II, many historic structures in Tokyo suffered severe damage. For this reason, the rebuilt city bears more modern features. Tokyo Skytree, which holds the title of the world's second tallest building, Tokyo Tower, and the Imperial Palace are among the important structures to see in Tokyo.

Japanese Cuisine

When talking about Japan, we cannot fail to mention its cuisine. The reason Japanese cuisine, which influences all world cuisines, is considered so popular and delicious is that they cook using many techniques and each dish contains all five tastes: spicy, sweet, sour, salty, and seasoned. On a visit to Japan, you should certainly eat sushi and will encounter many excellent sushi restaurants. However, for those who do not like sushi, there are also other food varieties; Japanese cuisine is quite extensive. Besides sushi; tempura seafood and vegetables are also quite famous. Miso soup, made from soy beans, fish-seaweed broth, tofu cheese, sliced fish pieces and green onions with high protein content; ramen, which consists of wheat noodles, meat, soy sauce and various meat-bone broth, are among the delicious Japanese cuisine flavors you can taste. Tokyo also has many famous restaurants with Michelin stars. By making reservations before your trip, you can also try these world-renowned restaurants. Japanese architecture and Japanese culture are very different, and if you are particularly interested in Far Eastern culture, Japan is definitely among the places you should visit. But especially if you arrive during the time when the cherry blossoms bloom with their pale pink flowers, it will present you with captivating views.   Sources: https://www.oggusto.com/lifestyle/japonya-kiraz-cicegi-sakura-festivali https://yolgunlukleri.net/kyoto-gezi-rehberi-tavsiyeler/ https://oitheblog.com/2019/12/04/tokyo-gezi-rehberi/ https://tr.euronews.com/2020/05/18/sakura-nedir-japonya-n-nyeniden- dogusu-simgeleyen-kiraz-cicegi https://archi101.com/donemler/japon-mimarisi/ https://www.lezzet.com.tr/lezzetten-haberler/japon-yemekleri   Prepared by - Nilsu Kotil