Petal Pushers

Question: What flower appears on Japanese passports, the 50-yen coin, and the Imperial family crest?

Answer: Chrysanthemum

Japan’s official symbol is the chrysanthemum—a 16-petal flower whose design appears on the country’s Imperial Seal, the cover of Japanese passports, on 50-yen coins, and above the doors of overseas Japanese embassies. But it is the sakura—the cherry blossom—that continues to capture the popular imagination of the Japanese people.

Each year, people throughout Japan wait in anticipation for the first sakura to burst into bloom, signifying the arrival of spring. It is the time to gather with friends and family in parks and gardens to watch the delicate pink blossoms fall and witness the fleeting beauty of the sakura—a centuries-old tradition called "hanami," which literally means "viewing the flowers." It’s a time for both celebration and reflection, as the blossoms are more than pretty flowers—they symbolize renewal, new beginnings, and life’s fleeting nature.

Cherry blossom trees have deep roots in Japanese culture

The main reason sakura hold such an important place in Japanese culture is their short-lived nature—they are beautiful to look at in their prime, yet their bloom lasts for only a few short weeks before falling to the ground and withering away. This reminder that "life is fleeting" goes back to feudal Japan when cherry blossoms represented the brief, colorful lives of samurai. While adhering to bushido—a set of strict moral codes of respect, honor, and discipline—samurai were meant to be fearless warriors even in the face of death. Their short lives were symbolized by fallen cherry blossoms.

Even in World War II, kamikaze pilots would mark their planes with sakura before setting off on suicide missions. The sakura symbolized how they would die "like beautiful falling cherry petals for the emperor."

Some say sakura cultivation in Japan pre-dates the feudal period, however, going back to the Nara period (710-794 AD), when Japanese aristocrats began planting cherry trees on their estates. It is believed that the current tradition of gathering family for a picnic (hanami) is rooted in ancient times as well—when farmers would pray, make offerings, and prepare a lavish spread underneath cherry blossom trees in the belief that it would bring an abundant harvest.

If only cherry trees could talk, because a few of them have been around long enough to fill in the historical gaps …

Meet some of Japan’s legendary cherry blossom trees

There are many sacred cherry blossom trees scattered throughout Japan, along with a few living legends. One of them is Jindai-Zakura, a cherry blossom tree in Hokuto City that is estimated to be between 1,800 to 2,000 years old, which would make it the oldest cherry blossom tree in Japan—if not the world. At about 34 feet high with a trunk circumference of almost 39 feet, the grizzled old soul is believed to have been planted by Prince Otsu when he visited the region in the first century.

Another "celebritree" is Miharu Takizakura. Located in Miharu Town in Fukushima and estimated to be more than a thousand years old, this massive fan favorite is called Takizakura (meaning "waterfall cherry tree") as its branches resemble a cascading waterfall.

Rounding out a trio of trees collectively known as "The Three Great Cherry Trees of Japan" is Usuzumi Zakura. Located in the picturesque Neodani Valley in Gifu Prefecture, Usuzumi Zakura is said to have been planted by the 26th Emperor of Japan, Keitai, more than 1,500 years ago. Despite wooden poles propping up most of its branches (aren’t the legs always the first things to go?), Usuzumi draws crowds from across Japan for the distinctive color of its blossoms. Its name means "pale-grey cherry blossoms," and it initially sprouts pale pink flowers, which then turn pure white when they’re in full bloom, and then pale gray just before they fall to the ground.

Other trees that have achieved legendary status include Ishiwari-zakura, a 400-year-old cherry tree in Morioka, Japan. Known as the "Stone-Splitting Cherry Tree," it took root in a small crack in a massive boulder and grew so large over the years that it split the boulder in half. Another is Uba-zakura, or Milk Nurse Cherry Tree, said to bloom each year on the anniversary of the death of a wet nurse who gave her life to save one of the children she cared for.

Nature decides when it’s cherry blossom season in Japan

While Milk Nurse Cherry Tree and a few other sacred trees are said to bloom on specific dates each year, cherry blossoms bloom on their own schedule—depending on weather conditions, variety of tree, and location. In general, cherry blossom season is mid-to-late March in southern Japan; late March to early April in central Japan (including Tokyo); and late April to the first few weeks of March in Hokkaido and the north.

To help narrow things down, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and other groups closely track weather conditions and release forecasts of when the cherry blossoms are most likely to bloom in different parts of the country. It’s not an exact science, but it will have to do. To hedge your bets, though, you could always go to Matsumai Park in Hokkaido. It’s not because of the 10,000 cherry blossom trees located here, it’s because there are about 250 distinct species. And since they bloom at different times, there is a much lengthier window of opportunity to witness the magical spring spectacle.

A few more fascinating facts about Japan’s cherry blossom trees you may not know:

• Don’t go tunneling under this mint—One of Japan’s most famous locations for viewing cherry blossoms is a riverside promenade that stretches around the national mint in Osaka. Called Sakura no Tōrinuke, or "Cherry Blossom Tunnel," the site features some 300 cherry trees in more than 100 varieties. The trees were originally planted by a samurai clan in the 1830s, but in 1883 the property was taken over by the Meiji government to be renovated as headquarters of Japan’s national mint. Shortly afterward, the public were invited to enjoy the blossoms, and each spring the mint chooses one of the varietals as the "flower of the year," which they feature on medals that are included in the mint’s annual proof coin sets.


• You’re a man with a better eye than I, Gunga Din—British author Rudyard Kipling stopped by the "Cherry Blossom Tunnel" during a visit to Japan in 1889. He included this poetic description in his book From Sea to Sea: "All along the boulevard the cherry, peach, and plum trees, pink, white, and red, touched branches and made a belt of velvety soft color as far as the eye could reach ... The Mint may make a hundred thousand dollars a day, but all the silver in its keeping will not bring again the three weeks of blossom … which is the crown and glory of Japan."


• Spring comes early in Kawazu—One Japanese town is treated to a sneak peek of cherry blossom season each year. A good two weeks before cherry blossoms begin to bloom across Japan, people in Kawazu get to enjoy the burst of color from hundreds of cherry trees erupting in full bloom. In the 1950s, locals noticed that some trees here blossomed earlier and were a more vivid pink than other trees, so they deliberately planted seeds of this variety along the riverbank. The original Kawazu sakura trees were planted in a residential area but can still be viewed today—and people from across Japan come to Kawazu to witness its early blossoms.


• Another plumb viewing spot—People who can’t wait for cherry blossom season have another alternative—but it’s the plum trees that are blossoming, not cherry trees. Between late January and early March, in small hilltop park in a residential area of Tokyo, the red and white flowers of 650 plum trees (called ume) burst into bloom. Well before cherry blossom season, you can celebrate the month-long "Plum Blossom Festival" at Henegi Park—there is even a local train station named in honor of the trees called Umegaoka, or "plum blossom hill."


• Some sakura are out of this world—The Uchu Zakura (or Space Cherry Blossom) was cultivated from seeds taken from Jindai-Zakura (Japan’s oldest cherry tree, mentioned earlier) that were taken into space by NASA and spent about eight months in the space station circling the globe. Of the 118 seeds taken into space, only two managed to bloom—one of which was Uchu Zakura, which is now located right near dear old dad. What’s rather odd about the whole thing is that typical cherry blossoms have five petals, but the blossoms of Uchu Zakura have six! With no explanation for this, we’re going with alien abduction.


• A double scoop for me, please—After a 24-year hiatus, Baskin Robbins Japan (known as B-R Thirty One Ice Cream) brought back their sakura-flavored ice cream in 2016. It’s said to taste like sakura mochi (sakura-flavored rice cake)—in a good way—and contains actual cherry leaves as an ingredient. And in the UK, Häagen-Dazs released a short-run cherry blossom pint for Valentine’s Day.


• Salty and sweet—Sakura Mochi (also called Cherry Blossom Rice Cake) is a popular Japanese confection made from sweet/glutinous rice filled with red bean paste and wrapped a salted pickled cherry leaf.

Plan a springtime visit for the chance to experience a "hanami" during O.A.T.’s Japan’s Cultural Treasures.