Japan boasts a culture that is centuries old, and with it carries many traditions that tourists
can observe, and even take part in. April has various festivals to welcome in the arrival of Spring, and
the opening of Cherry Blossoms, 桜.
Sakura, the national flower of Japan, and is one of the biggest draws for tourists to visit Japan.
The Japanese believed that gods resided in Sakura trees and made offerings, along with 酒. There is an
old saying that says that for every sakura tree, a body is buried beneath.
And media such as books and movies reflect this, as Sakura is a common metaphor for the passing of a
character.
お花見 is an annual tradition every april where friends and family gather together at a park and have a picnic party to enjoy the beauty of the sakura trees. The practice of Ohanami is many centuries old, said to have started in 710. Thousands of people flock to parks to view the flowers while eating, as the Sakura last for a very short amount of time, usually no more than two weeks. For this reason, many tourists come to Japan in the Spring just to see the Sakura.