Cherry Blossoms: Japan's National Symbol and Ancient Spiritual Tradition
Hanami (花見, meaning "flower viewing"), the springtime festival of cherry blossoms (sakura), is more than just an aesthetic appreciation of nature's beauty. This centuries-old custom combines spirituality, seasonal rejuvenation, social bonding, and artistic expression into a shared cultural phenomenon that symbolises Japan to overseas audiences while also reinforcing Japanese identity among citizens. Every spring, millions of people gather beneath blooming trees for a ceremony that feels both old and timeless.
The custom has spiritual roots dating back to pre-literate Japan, when cherry blossoms represented the rice field deity (ta no kami). The term "sakura" may stem from "sa" (spirit of the rice field) and "kura" (seat or resting place for the divine). When spring snow melted into blossoms, villagers climbed mountains to greet the deity, bringing food and sake, enjoying meals with the divine, and hoping for abundant harvests—rituals known as yamazakura (mountain expeditions) or noasobi (field picnics). These early hanami ceremonies symbolised agricultural faith and sacred communion with the natural cycles.
Hanami was raised to an official cultural practice by the imperial courts. This transition began in 812 CE, when Emperor Saga hosted a garden banquet at the palace to celebrate cherry blossoms, known as Hana no En no Setsu. This became a yearly tradition, and by 831 CE, an official imperial celebration. Nobles produced Chinese poetry, performed music, and danced in an elegant celebration beneath blossoming trees. The ritual spread throughout aristocratic circles, cementing sakura admiration as an elite cultural identifier.
Warlords and samurai saw hanami as a status symbol and an aesthetic pleasure. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan's legendary 16th-century unifier, hosted lavish hanami gatherings—his Yoshino no Hanami (1594) and, especially, his legendary Daigo no Hanami (1598), which included over 1,000 guests, elaborate tea ceremonies, sake banquets, costume performances, and outfit changes for female attendants.
Hanami became more widely accepted throughout the Edo era (1603-1868). During Tokugawa Yoshimune's reign in the 1660s, hundreds of cherry trees were planted in public places such as Asukayama, Sumida River embankments, and Koganei, converting flower viewing from an aristocratic pastime to a mass festivity. Common folks congregated beneath the sakura, spreading cheerful meals and enjoying sake, music, and entertainment. This custom evolved into the contemporary hanami festival, which is observed annually throughout Japan.
