{"id":1331,"date":"2021-03-26T12:47:20","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T12:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/?p=1331"},"modified":"2021-03-26T13:32:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-26T13:32:29","slug":"sakura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/sakura\/","title":{"rendered":"The Magic Of Cherry Blossoms"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='full_slider_1'  class='avia-fullwidth-slider main_color avia-shadow   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_section  avia-builder-el-first   container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div   data-size='featured'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='90'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='false'  data-slide_height=''  data-handle='av_slideshow_full'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id=''  data-scroll_down=''  data-control_layout='av-control-hidden'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-src=''  data-position='top left'  data-repeat='no-repeat'  data-attach='scroll'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='28.666666666667'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-1  av-control-hidden av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-featured av_slideshow_full   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 28.666666666667%;' ><li  class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><img src='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/sl3-seasonal-tours-japan-1500x430.jpg' width='1500' height='430' title='' alt='japan seasonal tours'  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"   \/><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n<div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section main_color avia-section-small avia-no-border-styling  avia-bg-style-scroll  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_slideshow_full  el_before_av_section   container_wrap sidebar_right' style='background-color: rgba(10,90,130,0.19);  '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-1331'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:0px; margin:0 0 0 0; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h1  blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-2  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >The Magic Of Cherry Blossoms<\/h1><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='av_section_2'  class='avia-section main_color avia-section-small avia-no-border-styling  avia-bg-style-scroll  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_section  avia-builder-el-last   container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-1331'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fourth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-4  el_before_av_one_fourth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3>READING TIME: 5 MINUTES.<\/h3>\n<h3>The most awaited time of the year<\/h3>\n<div class=\"t pg-6m0 pg-6x1 pg-6h2 pg-6ye pg-6ff1 pg-6fs0 pg-6fc0 pg-6sc0 pg-6ls0 pg-6ws0\">Once the first week of March is over, Japan begins to get ready to welcome its most beloved flowers &#8211; the cherry blossoms, or sakura as they are called here. There is a daily update on the news of how the cherry blossoms \u2018front\u2019 is progressing northward through the archipelago.\u00a0 There is joyful anticipation in the air as people wait the for the blooming trees to transform the towns and cities into a fairytale of white and pink flowers.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1339 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-6-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"491\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-6-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-6-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-6-705x529.jpeg 705w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-6-600x450.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-6.jpeg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 491px) 100vw, 491px\" \/><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 4\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h3>Are the sakura cherry trees?<\/h3>\n<p>Sakura trees are different from ordinary cherry trees as they don\u2019t produce fruit but instead have been cultivated over the centuries for their beautiful flowers. The cherry blossoms are considered the unofficial icon of Japan, and the trees are so loved and venerated that they are often given as a precious gift to other countries and symbolize Japan\u2019s spirit and friendship.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1337 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-3-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"492\" height=\"369\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-3-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-3-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-3-705x529.jpeg 705w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-3-600x450.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-3.jpeg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 4\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h3>Hanami &#8211; flower viewing<\/h3>\n<p>In Japan, the blooming of the sakura heralds the true arrival of spring. It is a time to rejoice and enjoy the beauty of the trees. Hanami, or \u2018flower-viewing parties\u2019 are a common sight at this time of the year. In parks, shrines and temples, people sit under the flower heavy branches and share food and drinks with their family and friends. It is a wonderful time to celebrate! There is so much tradition and even vocabulary associated with the blooming trees: for example, Yozakura means \u2018cherry blossoms at night\u2019. In many parks and gardens the trees are illuminated after sundown with the lights giving the blossoms an almost ethereal glow. There are special sweets and tea that are enjoyed during blossom viewing, and in many areas across Japan there are cherry blossom festivals.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1338 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-4-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"490\" height=\"367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-4-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-4-600x449.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-4.jpeg 693w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One of the most famous ones in Tokyo is the Meguro River Festival. At night, the pink lanterns strung along the river and the sakura trees lining its banks combine forces to create a magical world of flowers and light. It is a festive sight to behold and enjoy with a glass of pink champagne with strawberries that can be purchased at one of the many stalls offering food and drinks.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-1340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-5-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"484\" height=\"363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-5-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-5-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-5-705x529.jpeg 705w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-5-600x450.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-5.jpeg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 4\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<h3>The wabi-sabi of cherry blossoms<\/h3>\n<p>Interestingly, the cherry blossom season is also a time we become acutely aware of the ephemeral nature of life. The exquisite beauty of the trees is enchanting, but it is very short lived &#8211; like clouds of pink snow, in just two weeks their petals will fall and will be swept away by the wind. This cycle is embodied in the concept of mono aware. Influenced by Buddhism, mono aware is described as the bittersweet feeling one has when witnessing the grand play of Life. It is a combination of appreciation of Life\u2019s beauty and sadness of how transient it is. Perhaps this is another reason why the blooming sakura trees have such a strong cultural impact in Japan &#8211; their beauty teaches us appreciation but also acceptance of the cycles of Life<\/p>\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sakura - cherry blossoms in Kunitachi city, Tokyo\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HdoUtFs8Z5U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Below are the links to two of my virtual tours that offer spectacular cherry blossoms viewing. The trees normally bloom between the third week of March and the first week of April. To ensure you can see the cherry blossoms contact Makayla before booking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_button ' ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/takahata-fudo-tour\/'  class='avia-button   avia-icon_select-no avia-color-theme-color avia-size-small avia-position-center '  target=\"_blank\"   ><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Takahata Fudo Temple Virtual Tour<\/span><\/a><\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_button  avia-builder-el-last ' ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/tokyo-secret-tour\/'  class='avia-button   avia-icon_select-no avia-color-theme-color avia-size-small avia-position-center '  target=\"_blank\"   ><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Jindaiji Temple Virtual Tour<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/p><\/div><div class=\"flex_column av_one_fourth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_three_fourth  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-9  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '><section id=\"archives-3\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_archive\"><h3 class=\"widgettitle\">Archives<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2025\/05\/'>May 2025<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2024\/08\/'>August 2024<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2023\/05\/'>May 2023<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2022\/07\/'>July 2022<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2021\/09\/'>September 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2021\/03\/'>March 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2021\/02\/'>February 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2021\/01\/'>January 2021<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/09\/'>September 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/08\/'>August 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/07\/'>July 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/06\/'>June 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/05\/'>May 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/2020\/04\/'>April 2020<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t<span class=\"seperator extralight-border\"><\/span><\/section><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='after_section_2'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-1331'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sakura trees are different from ordinary cherry trees as they don\u2019t produce fruit but instead have been cultivated over the centuries for their beautiful flowers. The cherry blossoms are considered the unofficial icon of Japan, and the trees are so loved and venerated that they are often given as a precious gift to other countries and symbolize Japan\u2019s spirit and friendship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[26,21,41],"class_list":["post-1331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-japan","tag-japanese-festivals","tag-setsubun"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1331"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1347,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1331\/revisions\/1347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}