Author: Kate Mitchell

Location: Osaka, Japan

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

In Japan, the beginning of April means the blooming of the cherry blossoms, or sakura. Trees with sakura line the streets nearly everywhere and once they bloom, the entire country is filled with the beautiful white and pink hues of the flower petals. During sakura season, Japanese people participate in a tradition called hanami, or flower viewing. People picnic underneath the cherry blossoms and enjoy their beauty and a good meal. I decided to study abroad in Japan during the spring because I wanted to do hanami. Lucky for me, one of my professors lead a field trip to visit temples and shrines in Korien and finish the day with hanami. Hanami is best experienced with friends, so I was excited to go on the field trip!

We set up for a picnic in a neighborhood park surrounded by blooming cherry blossom trees. A playground was right below us with dozens of children playing. They were surprised to see a large group of foreigners in their neighborhood, but they didn’t seem to mind. They were more curious than anything with a few kids saying hello to us in English. They were adorable! Usually people bring homemade lunchboxes or obento for hanami, but us students brought a cheap lunch from the nearest convenience store. However, we were surprised by the professor’s wife who brought us boxes of homemade food including fried chicken, dango, taiyaki and much more. Instead of eating plain onigiri and chips, we were able to enjoy delicious traditional hanami fare.

After eating, we had to take photos with the cherry blossoms before they lost their blossoms. The sakura only bloom for about two weeks, so it’s important to enjoy them while they are still around. The flowers make a wonderful backdrop for any photo! When the sakura bloom, the weather is usually quite good (especially here in Osaka), so making plans for a picnic is easy! Back at Valpo, there’s still a chance it might snow, but in Japan, spring is already in full swing! If you’re not the outdoor type, you can still enjoy the cherry blossoms from the view inside and take part in all the sakura merchandise that gets sold during the season. Be prepared to see pink flower decorations everywhere throughout March and April. If you have plans to study abroad in Japan, I highly recommend going during the spring semester just to see the cherry blossoms.