What is Hanami?
As is the case every year, spring is a depressing time when pollen symptoms become more painful.
Although the daily routine of the corona disaster has been difficult, this is the only time of year when I am truly thankful for the prevalence of the moto work system.
I try not to go outside during this time of year, except to buy food, but “enjoying the cherry blossoms” is the only exception.
Some of you may be thinking, “If cherry blossoms are blooming, why don’t I just see them on the sidewalk while you’re shopping?”
Of course, I’m not looking for the three biggest cherry trees in Japan, such as Fukushima Prefecture’s Miharu Takizakura, Yamanashi Prefecture’s Yamataka Jindai-zakura, or Gifu Prefecture’s Neotani Usuzumizakura.
I want to see cherry blossoms to the extent that I can be impressed with “Oh, wow!”
No matter how much my eyes itch or how much I suffer from a runny nose, this is one thing I cannot compromise.
The cherry blossom viewing spots along parks and rivers such as Ueno Onshi Park, Meguro River, and Chidorigafuchi Greenway are filled with people enjoying cherry blossom viewing.
The pale pink petals spreading before your eyes heal the heart worn by the stressful society.
In the Heian period (794-1185), aristocrats enjoyed cherry blossom viewing by composing poems and playing kemari while looking at the cherry blossoms.
I can only think of a few songs and nothing more, so like the common people of the Edo period, I am content with cherry blossom viewing with sake and a bento lunch box.
When I was younger, I used to take a place and celebrate the arrival of spring with my family and friends, but since my hay fever has become worse, it is hard for me to stay outside for a long time.
The language of cherry blossoms is “purity” and “graceful woman,” but looking at them all the time does not bring you closer to them, so it is better to just feel a sense of regret.
To begin with, when you go cherry blossom viewing with your friends or colleagues, you can enjoy the first 30 minutes or so with new updates, but after that, the conversation is just inertia.
If they get a little drunk and start bad-mouthing their bosses or bragging about them, you can’t even count on them.
The beautiful flowers in front of you will be fed up with it.
Walk-in Sakura Viewing
For me, the ideal “HANAMI” is to enjoy a beautiful scene for about 30 minutes.
In other words, instead of composing a poem, enjoying a banquet with sake and bento, or looking at the flowers to the point of boredom, it is enough to simply walk alongside the cherry blossoms in full bloom and admire them.
Instead of setting up camp under a cherry tree in advance, visitors can decide on the “cherry blossoms they want to see” (i.e., pressed cherry blossoms) according to the weather on the day, the place they want to go, and their mood that day, and go see them without making an appointment.
However, according to the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, there are currently more than 600 species of cherry trees in Japan, most of which are hybrids according to DNA analysis.
We, who are not cherry tree breeders, may not be asked to suddenly “choose one” from a large number of varieties.
For example, how about “Somei-Yoshino,” which is most familiar to Japanese people?
If you are thinking, “How can I decide which one to choose from among all the Somei-Yoshino cherry trees that are everywhere?”
“How do you decide which Somei-Yoshino cherry trees are the best?” If you are wondering “How can I decide which one to push?”, just head to “Somei-Yoshino Sakura Memorial Park” in front of JR Komagome Station.
Edohigan and Oshima cherry trees, the parents of Someiyoshino, are planted here.
They are like the eldest of the Namek planets in the Dragon Ball universe. They will surely bring out your potential.
In the IT world, “Web 3.0” is attracting attention as a concept that embodies a world completely different from the conventional Internet.
The de facto marriage of same-sex couples is gradually spreading as an increasingly diverse form of family.
The “norm” is also changing, as evidenced by the popularity not only in Japan but also overseas of the “New School Leaders,” a four-member dance-vocal unit that expresses individuality and freedom in sailor uniforms.
As Kumi Nakata, former Japanese women’s volleyball coach, said in an article in Number magazine, “There is no victory in an extension of common sense,” I believe that “walk-in cherry blossom viewing” will be the new style of HANAMI in the future.
Cherry Blossom Plus Experience
“How about we go see the push cherry blossoms in about half an hour?” I invited my family.
They looked at me with a gawking look on their faces as if they were being tricked by a fox. They seemed to pay no attention to it.
I can understand their thin reaction, since they have not yet released their potential to the eldest Somei-Yoshino in Komagome.
She said, “I don’t have a push for SAKURA, but if it looks good in a photo, it’s good.“
She also want a “cherry blossom plus extra” proposal because it is a hassle to go out of their way for 30 minutes.
It was like a boss of a foreign company who thoroughly demands efficiency and added value.
It’s kind of a hassle, so I’m trying to tuck myself in and forget I said it, and she says, “Can’t we do something fun before and after the cherry blossom viewing!“
I’m afraid I’ll be scolded if I say aloud, “Not something, but something specific that interests me…” So I considered a “SNS walk-in cherry blossom viewing plus extra.”
The cherry blossom plus extra part is what makes the 30-minute main event so exciting.
The “Shandon Spring Pop-Up Bar” along the cherry trees of the Meguro River, which has been popular every year, or the “Cherry Blossom Viewing at the Museum” in Ueno Onshi Park, which exhibits Japanese artworks with cherry blossom motifs, would be suitable for this purpose.
A visit to the museum while cherry blossom viewing or a visit to a café that you have always wanted to visit would definitely make your day more fulfilling.
When I proudly told her about my new plan, she replied, “Strawberry champagne and cherry blossom art are great, but the cherry blossoms have to be the star of the show!“
She hit me right where it hurts. I am ashamed of myself for being so occupied with responding to the boss’s orders that I lost sight of the essence of what I was doing.”
If I had measured her combat power, my scouter would have been broken even before she released her latent potential.
But while cherry blossoms in full bloom are beautiful to look at, they don’t look so flashy when photographed.
If you fill the entire angle of view with Somei-Yoshino, which have a strong white color, the image will look dull and the light pink color will be difficult to express.
Adjusting the white balance and exposure may improve the image, but it looks like a photograph enhanced by digital technology, and it does not express the graceful woman called cherry blossoms.
In order to emphasize the beauty and brightness of the petals, it is necessary to use contrast to make the most of the subject, the cherry blossoms.
In this sense, the Meguro Riverfront and Ueno Park have graduated to the next level.
I’m not old enough to pose with champagne and cherry blossoms and say, “Yay!” It was not the year to pose with champagne and cherry blossoms.
I did some more research and came up with a candidate for the Tokyo Midtown “Midtown Blossom 2024”.
There are 100 cherry trees, mainly Somei-Yoshino, and the walking path is easy to walk along.
Above all, the contrast between the inorganic structure of the building and the organic cherry blossoms is irresistible. It is sure to make for some great photos.
Tokyo Midtown also has many fashionable restaurants and cafes, so it is easy to make plans before and after cherry blossom viewing.
This time, I stopped by “HARBS,” which offers “a cake you can eat and fill your heart with.
While many girls will be glued to the large cake, which is a whole cake size 8 (24 cm in diameter) divided into 10 equal portions, I would recommend the high-cost lunch (salad, pasta, half cake, and drink).
The lunch is served from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, and at around 2,000 yen, it will surely satisfy both your stomach and your mind.
Some people may be so satisfied that they forget about HANAMI and go home.
What do you think of the “new hanami experience” I have just described?
The era of “KOTO consumption,” which provides cherry blossoms and extra excitement in a short period of time, will be coming.
