Hey! It's Lisa, just in case you forgot me in my long online absence. I'm back and tons has happened since I last wrote in February. So, let's get started!
Mid April is the sweet spot for Spring time in Niigata. The renowned cherry blossoms I had only seen in pictures and heard of in stories are finally in full bloom; and gosh they do not disappoint! Around every corner blossoms have burst with the first signs of Spring.
Spring has never been my favourite season. In Calgary it is short lived and often interspersed with blustering snow storms and dreary grey rain clouds. I have appreciated the idea of Spring in the literary realm as a time of renewal and rebirth in Nature`s cycle. However, Spring in Calgary usually manifests itself in slush and brown grass until the first signs of summer.
Being in Japan through the winter and seeing the anticipation of its end and the arrival of Spring has given me a newfound appreciation for the season. The cherry trees start to blossom in the South and gradually sweep upwards covering the country with branches that swell with subtly sweet fragranced blossoms. There are websites that monitor the blossom's progression North and the first signs of buds are documented on the news. The entire nation anticipates their arrival and being a part of this waiting got me so excited for Spring. Not only is there a noticeable warming of the weather which means I no longer need to sleep with hefty layers under the warm protection of a kotatsu, there is also a tangible and traditional sense of Spring in the air. Sakura flavoured sweets and mochi balls started popping up in stores, everyday on the news there were stories about where the blossoms had sprung up that day. The excitement was inescapable and it was paired with the ending and beginning of a new school year. Spring really was a time of starting anew as third year students graduated and said goodbyes and the freshmen class were initiated at opening ceremonies. Niigata is situated slightly Northwest of Tokyo so when I heard news of Tokyo's blossoms I knew it wouldn't be long until I finally got to see them in person in all their glory!
On my walks home a few trees had blossomed early and I snapped pictures of the new blossoms everyday. I had fallen under Japan's Spring spell and I was obsessed early on with documenting these delicate blossoms. I asked my teachers every week if they had seen the blossoms on their way to work or if that weekend was the weekend to go. Although cherry blossoms are incredibly beautiful they are also super short lived. After the peak blossom time, most of them disappear in a flurry of petals in a couple of weeks. Their fleeting nature makes them more precious and special and I can now completely understand how they can compel, inspire and fascinate an entire nation with their beauty.
My fellow teachers rushed up to me one morning with excitement and told me that the upcoming weekend was the best day to go check out the blossoms. I planned a big picnic with friends to go to Hakusan Shrine which is the best place to see them. Cherry blossom viewing is an essential Spring time tradition, which is called Hanami. Like most Japanese celebrations it is a time to drink copious amounts of sake but this time it is under a sky full of blossoms and eating delicious Japanese festival fare. When we got to Hakusan Shrine, the normally quiet sanctuary of the city was bustling with food vendors, there were bands of traditional dance performers, and it seemed the entire population of the city had turned up to celebrate hanami. The blossom gods smiled on us that day because it was the warmest and sunniest day of the year so far. We found a perfect place under the trees to eat and lay out all day. It was incredible to be a part of this vibrant and lively event and I felt like I belonged in the Niigata community a little more. I didn't know that every year there is a week long festival at Hakusan shrine for hanami, but it has been the most fun I have had in the city so far. Maybe it was a side effect of the sake but the Japanese people who were there suddenly abandoned their usual private and poised demeanour and became jovial social (and loud!) festival goers. For once we weren't just a big group of foreigners who stuck out like sore thumbs, we belonged there, the cherry blossoms unified us in a truly Japanese experience. Everyone was in a picture taking frenzy, so I felt right at home.
Each season in Japan is delightfully distinct and comes with its own colours and festivals. I love how the nation celebrates each of them with such fervour and appreciation and how each one is paired with a unique tradition. In Spring everyone goes hanami-ing and gather together under the blossoms to celebrate the lifting of the heavy winter sky and the start of a new cycle in nature, in summer each region holds festivals in the scorching sun and sweatily watch incredible fireworks and traditional dances, in Autumn the mystery and dark appeal of the season culminates in leaves turning a vibrant fiery red before falling away, in winter people visit shrines shrouded in snow to send off the past year and pray for a prosperous new one, and each celebration includes its own special food for the occasion and is imbued with deeply rooted traditions to be shared with the world. To experience the changing of the seasons has been a truly remarkable experience and has given me pause for gratitude and appreciation.
Mid April is the sweet spot for Spring time in Niigata. The renowned cherry blossoms I had only seen in pictures and heard of in stories are finally in full bloom; and gosh they do not disappoint! Around every corner blossoms have burst with the first signs of Spring.
Spring has never been my favourite season. In Calgary it is short lived and often interspersed with blustering snow storms and dreary grey rain clouds. I have appreciated the idea of Spring in the literary realm as a time of renewal and rebirth in Nature`s cycle. However, Spring in Calgary usually manifests itself in slush and brown grass until the first signs of summer.
Being in Japan through the winter and seeing the anticipation of its end and the arrival of Spring has given me a newfound appreciation for the season. The cherry trees start to blossom in the South and gradually sweep upwards covering the country with branches that swell with subtly sweet fragranced blossoms. There are websites that monitor the blossom's progression North and the first signs of buds are documented on the news. The entire nation anticipates their arrival and being a part of this waiting got me so excited for Spring. Not only is there a noticeable warming of the weather which means I no longer need to sleep with hefty layers under the warm protection of a kotatsu, there is also a tangible and traditional sense of Spring in the air. Sakura flavoured sweets and mochi balls started popping up in stores, everyday on the news there were stories about where the blossoms had sprung up that day. The excitement was inescapable and it was paired with the ending and beginning of a new school year. Spring really was a time of starting anew as third year students graduated and said goodbyes and the freshmen class were initiated at opening ceremonies. Niigata is situated slightly Northwest of Tokyo so when I heard news of Tokyo's blossoms I knew it wouldn't be long until I finally got to see them in person in all their glory!
On my walks home a few trees had blossomed early and I snapped pictures of the new blossoms everyday. I had fallen under Japan's Spring spell and I was obsessed early on with documenting these delicate blossoms. I asked my teachers every week if they had seen the blossoms on their way to work or if that weekend was the weekend to go. Although cherry blossoms are incredibly beautiful they are also super short lived. After the peak blossom time, most of them disappear in a flurry of petals in a couple of weeks. Their fleeting nature makes them more precious and special and I can now completely understand how they can compel, inspire and fascinate an entire nation with their beauty.
My fellow teachers rushed up to me one morning with excitement and told me that the upcoming weekend was the best day to go check out the blossoms. I planned a big picnic with friends to go to Hakusan Shrine which is the best place to see them. Cherry blossom viewing is an essential Spring time tradition, which is called Hanami. Like most Japanese celebrations it is a time to drink copious amounts of sake but this time it is under a sky full of blossoms and eating delicious Japanese festival fare. When we got to Hakusan Shrine, the normally quiet sanctuary of the city was bustling with food vendors, there were bands of traditional dance performers, and it seemed the entire population of the city had turned up to celebrate hanami. The blossom gods smiled on us that day because it was the warmest and sunniest day of the year so far. We found a perfect place under the trees to eat and lay out all day. It was incredible to be a part of this vibrant and lively event and I felt like I belonged in the Niigata community a little more. I didn't know that every year there is a week long festival at Hakusan shrine for hanami, but it has been the most fun I have had in the city so far. Maybe it was a side effect of the sake but the Japanese people who were there suddenly abandoned their usual private and poised demeanour and became jovial social (and loud!) festival goers. For once we weren't just a big group of foreigners who stuck out like sore thumbs, we belonged there, the cherry blossoms unified us in a truly Japanese experience. Everyone was in a picture taking frenzy, so I felt right at home.
Each season in Japan is delightfully distinct and comes with its own colours and festivals. I love how the nation celebrates each of them with such fervour and appreciation and how each one is paired with a unique tradition. In Spring everyone goes hanami-ing and gather together under the blossoms to celebrate the lifting of the heavy winter sky and the start of a new cycle in nature, in summer each region holds festivals in the scorching sun and sweatily watch incredible fireworks and traditional dances, in Autumn the mystery and dark appeal of the season culminates in leaves turning a vibrant fiery red before falling away, in winter people visit shrines shrouded in snow to send off the past year and pray for a prosperous new one, and each celebration includes its own special food for the occasion and is imbued with deeply rooted traditions to be shared with the world. To experience the changing of the seasons has been a truly remarkable experience and has given me pause for gratitude and appreciation.
RSS Feed