Spring is HERE!
However busy things have gotten there is one great thing about this time of year, Spring is finally here! We have entered one of the best times of year to be living in Japan. The trees are starting to turn green again, the flowers are blooming, and things are just looking a bit less gray around here. While it is wonderful living here all year, the bitter cold of Winter mixed with the dull browns all the dead vegetation gives off, definitely start to wear on you by the end of the season. Warmer temperatures and color return to the country are a much welcomed. I honestly don't think that I could have taken much more of the Winter before I started to go crazy.
Along with the warmer temperatures and the colors of life returning spring also brings about one of the best things that Japan has to offer, Cherry Blossoms. They are absolutely stunning to see if you have never experienced them before. This short lived period when they are in full bloom, about 2 weeks, is the time for the Japanese tradition of "Hanami".
Hanami (花見), Flower Viewing, is the act of appreciating the blooming of the Sakura trees, usually done so by enjoying outdoor parties under the trees with friends and family. It is said that the Hanami parties began somewhere around the early 700s during the Nara period of Japan with the Ume blossoms, but by the end of the 700s in the Heian period it changed to favor the Sakura blossoms instead. At first the parties were only for the elite at the imperial palace in Kyoto, but it soon spread to the Samurai and then to the common folk by the time of the Edo Period (1603-1868).
Today Hanami is celebrated and practiced by everyone. It is a time where people flock to their local parks, rivers, or viewing hot spots in order to secure a spot under the trees and enjoy a party with their friends or family. Hanami parties can tend to be a bit wild. It is not uncommon to catch people passed out from drinking too much or having to step to the side to vomit from enjoying the festivities a little too much. But Hanami isn't just about drinking with your friends until you are sick, it is also about enjoying the company of those that you care about and welcoming in the "harvest year". Of course, along with such giant gatherings of people come the festivals as well and all the delicious foods that go along with them. If there is one thing that the Japanese have gotten right about festivals it is the food!
Unfortunately this years was not the best here in my local area for enjoying Hanami. Winter decided that it was going to hang on until the bitter end, causing the temperatures to randomly fall and the cold to return just as the trees decided that it was time to bloom. While winter was fighting to stay around just a little bit longer, spring was fighting its way through the door bringing random rain showers that came along for the ride. Sadly this combination meant that this season's conditions were not the best to stay outside for long periods of time enjoying the Sakura petals. However, even with the less than great conditions, people, including myself, didn't let that stop them from trying their best to get out there and keep this tradition alive.
Here in Japan spring doesn't just bring about the change of the seasons, it also signals the change of a new "year" in a certain way. April is the start of the new school year for children, the new fiscal year starts, and people begin to make changes in their own lives following this seasons of "new beginnings".
For myself, this spring has brought about the chance to change my job! While this is not a huge change, as I am still teaching English to children, it has brought a refreshed outlook on my job after almost five years working with the same company. It has also brought new challenges in my daily life that I had not had before after getting complacent at my last job. I look forward to seeing where this no job will take me and what new relationships form because of it.
And so, I will leave this post here today. Life has been very busy recently with planning a wedding and changing jobs, so if it take a bit longer than normal for me to get my next post up, I apologize. I also have some other projects that are in the works, so stay tuned and keep an eye out for their announcements in the (hopefully near) future.
Before I leave though, I would like to ask a question to you.
What does spring signify to you?
What changes are you looking to make, or are in the process of making?
Leave a comment and let me know!
As always, thanks for taking the time to read! Keep doing your best and living your best life!
(Bonus pictures)
Hi Harrison! Congrats on your new job! The school year starts in April...interesting. Nothing really exciting in my world right now. Looking forward to summer - bathing suits - beach time! I enjoyed your post!
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