Hanami ～To See Cherry Blossoms～

It is time to go and see cherry blossoms this season.

Many Japanese people go to see them in mountains or parks, and often have a lunch while watching beautiful trees. This event is called Hanami. The petals are shedding on your body or into your lunch box, which is a precious occasion to feel the nature with your whole body. In some famous Hanami spots, there are also vendors selling food like the ones in summer festivals in animation movies or dramas.

The season when the cherry blossoms (called Sakura in Japanese) are in full bloom coincides with the beginning of the school year in Japan. Parents and their children holding their hands one another walking on the sideways under the trees can be seen in the beginning of April. The scene makes me happy every year.

Sakura symbolizes Japan's aesthetic philosophy in which something fleeting should be utmost admired therefore beautiful. After being endured in frosty winter, things can represent themselves all the better because time is limited. As you have seen or heard of Japanese characteristics, just as cherry blossoms endure a long period of winter, Japanese people are widely recognized to be able to make persistent effort like a worker ant.

Recently, I have also seen people from different countries sitting on the spread tarp and chatting joyfully. I really admire people who enjoy different cultures and try to experience them in a natural way. There could be more and more people visiting Nagasaki down the road. According to the increase in foreign visitors with more different backgrounds, thoughts, and preferences, we need to be able to provide a wider variety of contents for hands-on programs where you can experience things Japanese and that make your stay more fruitful and enjoyable.

We have set a FREE magazine called "NAGASAKI Cool" in most hotels in Nagasaki cities and some in other cities in Nagasaki. You also can browse our back numbers on this website. Not only a useful map and restaurant information, but also featured articles about Nagasaki are introduced. We wholeheartedly hope the pandemic will subside as soon as possible and many people will travel back to Japan.