What is Hanami?
'Hana' means flower and 'Mi' is to do with looking, so you could say that hanami means 'looking at flowers' or 'flower viewing' but there is more to it than that. Hanami was originally a religious ritual to pray for a good rice crop, the trees in full bloom likened to a good harvest later in the year. During medieval times, the way cherry petals fall at the height of their beauty and their transience assumed symbolism both in the Samurai warrior code and in Buddhism. In Japan today the tradition of gathering under the blossoms is a chance (read: excuse) to get out and party, picnic, drink, see old friends and make new ones, more than a religious or symbolic event. It is beautiful, it can be enchanting...
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