花見 (Hanami) ...

According to my BFF Wikipedia ...

"Hanami (花見) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms (sakura in Japanese). From late March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan. The blossom forecast is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura. In many places temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura."

The Japanese people go wild about the cherry blossoms. You hear everyone talking about them starting around February, despite the fact that they don't come until the end of March. And then when they do come, watch out. EVERYONE is out with their camera taking pictures. It's like everyone becomes a tourist. A lot of Japanese people plan vacations around this time so they can go see the best of the best cherry blossoms. They really are beautiful and I, like the Japanese, have about a thousand pictures that prove so. :)

One Saturday afternoon we planned to meet down by the river that happens to be lined with cherry blossom trees. Apparently everyone else in the city of Okayama had decided to join us. :)
It kind of reminded me of Saturday in the Park back home. In a weird, similar sort of way.

People are serious about this picnicking business. They bring their blue tarps along with their grills, a full days supply of food, and LOTS to drink. The people across from us had brought portable flood lights. There were also street vendors set up (in case you didn't bring your own grill) with lots of goodies to eat. Ok, not necessarily goodies, but you know.
I wouldn't exactly classify these as 'goodies', but then again I didn't try one so who am I to say?
My beautiful friend Amy (from Australia), doing the standard Japanese peace.
Amanda, with a hanami must: beer (& of course peace).
Amanda brought my favorite - Tootsie Pops!! Although no one I know (American or not) understands what it means if your wrapper has an Indian with a star. Is this just an Iowa thing?
When the sun went down they turned on the lanterns for yozakura.
They were really quite beautiful & there were SO many of them it was like the whole park was lit up.
Our hanami picnic was so much fun but just as quickly as the cherry blossoms came, they were gone. They lasted about two, maybe three weeks & then they were gone. And then I started thinking, did I get enough pictures? :)

much love,

-tara-

xx