Hanami

...is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers. Flowers, in this case means cherry blossoms, or "sakura" in Japanese. The flowers on these trees bloom for only 2 or 3 weeks in the spring time and signify the change in season. Japanese people take a lot of pride in the fact that they have 4 very distinct seasons and have holidays or events to celebrate each one. The cherry blossoms I saw were already starting to fall to the ground, but that actually made the experience even better since the ground was littered with fresh, pinkish white flower petals. I also ran across an interesting bush that was covered in bright pink flowers while on my stroll through Shiroyama park in my new town, Kokubu.