The blooming of the Cherry blossom, a welcome sign of spring will take place soon. It is very likely that some Japanese person will solemnly inform you that “Japan has four seasons” and that “all Japanese people love the Cherry blossoms”.

There are over 400 varieties of the cherry trees, but the most common one is the “Edozakura”, a popular variety developed in the 19th century toward the end of the Edo period.

Cherry trees are often planted in school yards, where their blooming used to coincidence with the graduation in March or the beginning of the school year in April depending on where in Japan you live.

In Okinawa, the Sakura can start blooming in February, but for most of the country, they begin to bloom sometime between the middle of March to the beginning of May.

This year, 2024 it is predicted to be a bit early. Kanto can expect it to start blooming already about March 26th and for Tokyo even earlier around the 18^th.

The opening of the flowers is keenly monitored by the media and a national “cherry blossom front” is closely charted for many weeks as it slowly moves up the Japanese archipelago.

The lovely blooming of the cherry blossom, however, lasts for a very short time.

After about a week, and just at the peak of their beauty, the light pink blossoms fall to the ground. Thus, they often symbolize our fleeting mortality and life’s beautiful but impermanent nature.

Cherry is said to be somewhat early this year, so now is the time to make plans to go out and join the rest of Japan in their appreciation for beauty and life.

Of course, Japan is not only “Sakura”. From April the weather will be nice and holidays, like the “golden week” in May and after that, summer vacation is coming soon. It is time to start planning.

The calendar this year 2024 is so that if you take April 30^th, May 1^st and 2^nd off you can enjoy a “Golden week” of 10 days (from April 27th through May 6th).