It’s Cherry Blossom Season!

Japan lovers! Rejoice! It’s the most magical time of the year in Japan right now! That’s right, it’s cherry blossom season! So get your camera ready, your friends together, and a whole lot of sake to drink, because it’s time to sit under a tree and enjoy the beauty of the blossom.

So I figure I’d take some time out and tell you how the sakura season works. First, it’s not as easy as just waiting for your area’s trees to bloom and then looking at them. Not at all. It’s an event. A shared community event. This means you have to plan. Luckily your local paper, national weather service, and plenty of websites keep track of all the cherry trees across Japan. Or at least give you an idea of when different areas will be in bloom.

Once you know when your area will be in bloom (or you’ve decided to travel somewhere) then you have to find some friends. Cherry blossom viewing is not something you do by yourself. You break out a blue plastic tarp, find a place to sit under a tree, and then wait for everyone you know to show up to your party. That or you could just go party hoping. Either way, it’s a party.

Most importantly, you need to figure out the food and drink. It’s not a Japanese party unless half the people are drunk and the other half are pretending to be drunk because they need to go into work later. You also need to find a food that can be group cooked. Such things as nabe or sukiyaki are always popular. Though my favorite is grilling. Yum yum. Grilled meat under a tree.

If you’re a foreigner wandering around Japan during this time be prepared for the random invite. Oh yes. The invite. Just walk around a popular blossom viewing area and wait for someone to offer you food. You’d be surprised how often this works, much to the embarrassment of my girlfriend.