In Kyoto, in spring and March, when the flowers open, men and women of all ranks come out to enjoy the blossoms. This is called hanami.

It is a passage from "Hiji Kijo" written by Michihiro Kurokawa in the early Edo period.

By this time, hanami was already a popular pastime for the common people.The love for cherry blossoms has remained unchanged since ancient times. These days, cherry blossoms from Japan are also being enjoyed overseas, adding color to the spring season.

Okazaki hydrophobic waterway

However, it is said that weeping cherry trees are not favored overseas. The drooping branches are said to be sad and depressing.

shidare cherry

In Japan, its gorgeousness is well known and popular in literary works, such as the weeping cherry tree at Heian Jingu Shrine.However, when we see weeping cherry trees on a cloudy or rainy day, they certainly look languid and lonely. However, the fragile and lonely appearance seems to accentuate the mysterious atmosphere.

Heian Shrine

Speaking of mystical,Cherry blossoms are a mystery in their very nameIt is.

The "sa" in "sakura" is the name of the spirit of rice, and "kura" means the seat of God. In the pastThe spirit of the rice plant in the flower was welcomed and worshipped, and rice planting began.It is said. Also,Cherry blossoms have the power to appease gods and spirits.The custom of "hanafuri," or folding cherry blossoms by hand and offering them to the gods, is probably derived from this. This is probably the reason why there is a custom of "hanaori (flower folding)," in which cherry branches are folded by hand and offered to the gods.

 

Last year, in this "Māyāi Exploration of Kyoto,Cherry branches were offered as an offering to the sinners.I introduced an episode called "The Cherry Blossoms. This may be an example of the cherry tree's power to calm the mind. I have also retrieved some other legends that I could not introduce at the time.

There is a song called "Arashiyama" in which cherry blossoms play an important role in a song. In spring, the imperial envoys of Emperor Saga visit Arashiyama. At that time, an old couple of flower-keepers praise the Emperor for his long reign by describing the beauty of the flowers on Arashiyama. And that these cherry trees were planted by transferring Yoshino cherry trees, which are sacred trees, and that they are inhabited by the gods,It is by the power of God that flowers do not fall and bloom like this in this place named "Storm."The story is that he tells the story. In this chant,God is in the Cherry BlossomsThe idea that this is the case can be seen.

Arashiyama in early spring

As an aside, a boatman on a Hozu River cruise once told me, "There are several places on this river where the wind swirls like a storm, making it difficult to maneuver the boat. It is not surprising that this is the origin of the name Arashiyama.

 

Also,Sumizumedera Temple in Sumizumemachi, Fushimi-ku, Tokyo is a "cherry blossom templeIt is also called "Sumizome Cherry Blossom. There is a variety of cherry tree called sumizomezakura in the precincts of the temple.

Cherry blossoms at Sumizomeji Temple (Free Image)

Sumizome-ji Temple, "Cherry Blossom Temple Flat

According to legend, the Heian-period poet Kamitsuke Mineo composed a poem to the cherry blossoms in mourning for then Grand Minister Fujiwara Mototsune, who was buried here, saying, "If the cherry blossoms in the Fukakusa field have a heart of gold, this is the only year they will bloom in sumi-zome.

The cherry blossoms immediately turned a light black color. This "Usuzumizakura" is said to be a variety of cherry tree whose flowers look like white ink when they first bloom, but only the base of the cherry tree is said to exist at the temple.

 

Kyoto has many famous cherry blossom viewing spots and historic sites. There are also many rare varieties of cherry blossoms to be seen. What kind of flowers will each of them bring to the city this year?

Ulugin cherry blossoms at Hirano Shrine

 

by the way,Fugenzo cherry blossoms at Senbon Shakado introduced last yearI was not able to get a photo in time and borrowed a free image. I could not get a photo in time, so I borrowed a free image, but later visited the temple grounds to take a photo. Here it is. Just at the edge of the main hall, a cat was sleeping comfortably.

Fugenzo cherry tree and cat at Senbon Shakado