Monday, March 9, 2009

Travel Japan Guide: Cherry Blossom Festival

Japan SakuraIf you’re seeking somewhere to travel and spend your holidays for this month (March), Japan can be a decent choice as the cherry blossom viewing season, draws near. A huge event throughout Japan, the festival celebrates the blooming of cherry trees at around the end of March and generally lasts until early April. Even though, for this year, because temperatures in February were above average in most parts of Japan and similarly mild temperatures are forecast for March, the cherry blossoms are expected to open a few days ahead of their average schedule.

Cherry blossoms, also known as Sakura, bloom simultaneously in the spring for one week. Recognized as Japan’s unofficial national flower, Sakura have frequently been used to establish diplomatic ties between Japan and other countries. The flowers reach full bloom and flutter to the ground gracefully during their final stage. The Japanese believe that these blossoms symbolize human life, transience and nobility. The blossoms begin in the southernmost island of Japan, Okinawa, in January and reach Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in late March with Peak Bloom Period is predicted for April 3 - April 9, 2009.

Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are the most popular cities to witness this spectacular natural event and to ensure everyone gets a chance to view the delicate pink and white blossoms. Tokyo’s busy Ueno Park, with 1,500 cherry trees, can be one of the best places to view Sakura. Cherry blossoms in Kyoto and Osaka tend to bloom several days later. The Arashiyama Mountain, with the Togetsukyo Wood Bridge, and Kyoto’s Imperial Palace provide beautifully picturesque scenes. Four thousand Sakura trees around Osaka Castle are illuminated at night for one week at the end of March and beginning of April, while Osaka Expo Park with over 5,500 cherry trees is a great place to have a picnic while viewing the cherry blossoms.

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2 comments:

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Unknown said...

Last year I and my family spent our holiday in Japan and saw the beautiful Sakura in Cherry Blossoms Festival!!! It was really a great experience for us. This time we’re all going to China to visit the three main cities including Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. Actually we’va got fine hotel room over there fir a quite low rate. The famous Accor group is presenting some great offers for the traveler. To check out those excellent offers you can visit http://pea.to/ampind.......