The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts
TsukuBlog
PLUM crazy! Ibaraki`s Ume Trees in Bloom!
6 March, 2021
Walking to the Kasuga Community Center, I found myself enveloped in a sweet, warm and welcome fragrance. I knew what I would see even before I turned around – this large plum tree which had just burst into bloom!
Plum blossoms outside the MAIE soba restaurant in Yasato. Note how pointy the peaks of Mt. Tsukuba look from that side (March 5, 2021)
By Avi Landau
When one uses the word HANAMI (花見, flower viewing) on its own, it is understood by native speakers of Japanese to refer ONLY to the viewing and enjoyment of blooming CHERRY BLOSSOMS- and not of any other flower. This clearly shows the high regard given to the fragile pink blossoms which have since the Heian Period symbolized the transient nature of all things, one of the cornerstone concepts of Japanese aesthetics and philosophy. Going to a meisho (名所, a famous place for viewing cherry blossoms) can reveal how the Japanese have turned th