And it begins! It wouldn't be an understatement to say that every Japanese citizen looks forward to this moment when all the cherry blossom trees throughout the country begin to bloom in light shades of pink. You can literally feel everyone's energies beginning to rise, as people of all ages stroll through parks and narrow roads just to view the flowers. People are so excited about the bloomings, in fact, that parties will be organized amongst workers of every company, every office, and every establishment. These parties, called ohana-mi (litearlly, "flower-viewing"), take place under blossomed cherry trees--mainly in parks, but the occasional, desperate party might take place on roadside--and are accompanied by exorbitant amounts of food, liquor, and portable karaoke machines. As you can imagine, this is serious party time for the normally workaholic Japanese.
Since many of you reading this will not be able to experience first-hand this wonderful time of year in Japan when everyone turns into a calorie-consumptive, beauty-stricken diva-alcoholic, I've posted below some pictures of cherry trees near my parents' house. Perhaps you too can join the Japanese population and take in this great beauty via cyberspace, and of course, indulge!
>The main dish: the cherry blossom.
For those who are interested in seeing this 'live', check out the Hanami Webcam!
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