Cherry blossoms, or Sakura, are very significant in Japan. In fact they are considered the nation's unofficial national flower. Every year people flock to see the trees bloom and hold parties beneath their branches. This practice is known as hanami and it is so popular that Japan's weather bureau annually releases a blossom forecast that is updated nightly on the news. This allows people to plan when they will go out and view the blossoms.
Cherry blossoms symbolize many things, but one of the most significant symbols is the ephemeral nature of life. Because of the blossoms' extreme beauty and quick death, they have often been associated with mortality and are often used in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film.
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Every year, during the last weeks of March and the first weeks of April, the cherry blossoms in San Francisco bloom. This book is a celebration of all of the people who come together because of them. This includes the people who go to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park and those who go to the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival that is held every year at the end of the cherry blossom season.
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March 21 to April 19, 2009
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