Facts About Cherry Blossoms
―There are many kinds of cherry trees, but 80% of them are Someiyoshino cherry trees.
―Two reasons for the beauty of Someiyoshino cherry trees
＊Blossom blooms before the leaves come out.
＊They bloom all at once.
―The reason they bloom all at once is that they are clones of the same species. They are grown by grafting and cutting.
―Somei Yoshino is a variety created in the Edo period (1603-1868).
―It was crossbred in Somei village in Edo and was named after Yoshino in Nara, a famous cherry blossom spot
―Plum blossoms were the flower of Hanami, viewing flowers, at court until the Nara period. In the Heian period (794-1185), with the development of national culture, hanami became cherry blossom viewing.
―Cherry blossoms appear in old waka poems. Famous waka poem: “If there were no cherry blossoms in the world, our hearts in spring would be calm and peaceful.” by Ariwarano Narihira.
―The custom of cherry blossom viewing became popular in the Edo period (1603-1867).
―Symbolism of cherry blossoms that bloom and then quickly fall
*Symbol of a samurai who dies for the sake of righteousness and not attached to this life
*A Buddhist sense of impermanence, that beauty or a good thing is fleeting.
―Someiyoshino cherry trees cannot produce cherries. Cherries are the fruit of a species called Seiyozakura.
―The leaves of someiyoshino trees cannot be eaten. They are poisonous. Salted leaves of Oshima cherry are eaten. The leaves are used to make sakura-mochi (cherry blossom cakes). The aroma is good. Cherry trees belong to the rose family.
―Cherry blossom cakes are pink rice cakes (with azuki beans) wrapped with cherry leaves.
―There is a cherry blossom front called “Sakura-zensen” (cherry blossom front), and it starts in Okinawa in January and goes northward until it reaches Hokkaido in May.
―Cherry trees are planted along rivers because people come to view the cherry blossoms and trample on the ground. It is a measure to protect the soil.
― The three greatest cherry trees in Japan are the Miharu-taki cherry tree in Fukushima Prefecture, the Yamataka Jindai cherry tree in Yamanashi Prefecture, and the Neotani Usuzumizakura cherry tree in Gifu Prefecture. To these are added the following two, which make up the five greatest cherry trees in Japan: Ishidokabazakura in Saitama Prefecture and Shimoma-zakura in Karijuku, Shizuoka Prefecture.
―The Isshin Gyo cherry tree in Aso is 400 years old and is of the yamazakura variety.
―It is the grave tree of Tadafuyu Nakamura, who was killed in battle 400 years ago. The remaining family members performed a ritual practice wholeheartedly. “Wholeheartedly” is “Isshin,” and “ritual practice” is “gyo.”