The Japanese enjoy mild climate in spring. Various flowers come out in this season. Among those flowers, cherry blossom is probably the most popular. When it comes out, people feel happiness because they just get over the cold winter. On the other hand, they feel sadness in their mind because cherry blossom falls off in a week after it comes out. They make attempt to enjoy this season while this flower is in bloom by having parties.



Wherever you see cherry blossoms, you can see the Japanese having hanami party. Hanami literally means to watch flower. Now, it means the party itself. It was about the 8th century when the Japanese started this custom. They used to enjoy watching plum flower. In a few hundred years, they started watching cherry blossom instead. In any case, the Japanese have felt happiness for getting over the severe winter. Back then, emperors and nobles held parties for watching cherry blossoms. Unlike today, they had a quiet party, writing some poems while eating and drinking. The style changed when people in a lower class started enjoying hanami. They aggressively enjoy the happiness they feel from flowers. Their parties were sometimes held in a form of bureiko which people do not have to hesitate communicating with other status of people.



In March, Japan Meteorological Agency publishes a forecast for when cherry blossoms come out. The forecast is so precisely studied that people can make a plan for their party easily. There are a hundred sites chosen for the beauty of cherry blossoms. In central Tokyo, there are three of them; Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen and Sumida Park. Other than those sites, cherry blossoms are everywhere in Japan. If you see any hanami parties, you are likely to find heavily drunk people there.