What is hanami?
花見 (hanami — flower viewing) is the centuries-old Japanese tradition of gathering under cherry blossom trees to eat, drink, and contemplate the brief blooming season. The kanji are straightforward: 花 (flower) + 見 (to see/look). But the practice is far more than picnicking — it is a national meditation on beauty, impermanence, and the pleasure of being present.
Hanami season typically runs from late March to mid-April in most of Japan, though it begins in Okinawa in January and reaches Hokkaido in late April. Entire parks are reserved weeks in advance; blankets and tarpaulins appear on popular spots from dawn.
The history of hanami
The earliest recorded hanami parties took place among the aristocracy in the Nara period (710-794 CE) — but they viewed ume (plum) blossoms, not cherry. The shift to sakura happened during the Heian period (794-1185), when the Imperial court at Kyoto began celebrating cherry blossoms as the quintessential symbol of Japanese sensitivity. By the Edo period (1603-1868), hanami had spread to all social classes.
The most sought-after hanami spots in Japan are: 上野公園 (Ueno Park, Tokyo) with over 1,000 trees, 円山公園 (Maruyama Park, Kyoto), 弘前城公園 (Hirosaki Castle Park, Aomori) with 2,600 trees, and 吉野山 (Yoshino Mountain, Nara) where 30,000 trees bloom across four zones at different altitudes.
Hanami etiquette
Arriving early to claim a spot with a tarpaulin (ブルーシート, buruu shiito) is standard practice. Bringing food and drinks — especially bento boxes and sake — is expected. Many companies send junior employees to hold spots from morning. Leaving the area cleaner than you found it is a point of collective pride. Hanami is communal, seasonal, and unselfconsciously joyful — an expression of Japanese social warmth that surprises many first-time visitors.