Why is the cherry blossom the national flower of Japan?

The cherry blossom is the national flower because it is a symbol of love and hope. Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a fairy named "Kibana Kayahime" (meaning cherry blossom) in Japan. One November, she traveled from Okinawa through Kyushu, Kansai, and Kanto, arriving in Hokkaido in May of the following year. Along the way, she scattered flowers, a symbol of love and hope, everywhere. In honor of this fairy, the local people named this flower "cherry blossom" and Japan became the "Land of Cherry Blossoms". Cherry blossoms are warm, pure and noble, and after the severe winter, they are the first to bring the breath of spring to the people of Japan, and the Japanese government designates March 15 to April 15 every year as the "Cherry Blossom Festival (Matsuri)". In this season of cherry blossom viewing, people bring their relatives, invite their friends, bring wine and food to sit on the ground under the cherry blossom trees, enjoying cherry blossoms and drinking, which is really one of the great pleasures in life. Cherry blossoms have a history of more than 1,000 years in Japan. In the Nara period (710-794), when it comes to flowers, it means plum blossoms, and in the Heian period (794-1192), cherry blossoms became the main character, and songs about cherry blossoms were five times more than songs about plum blossoms. Cherry blossom viewing has been practiced in Japan since the 7th century, when Emperor Jotunori was particularly fond of cherry blossoms and visited Yoshinoyama in Nara many times to see them. In addition, it is said that the first cherry blossom viewing event in Japanese history was held in the 9th century under the auspices of Emperor Saga. At first, cherry blossom viewing was only popular among the powerful and wealthy, but it was not until the Edo period (1603-1867) that it was popularized among the common people and became a traditional folk custom. The life of the cherry blossom is very short. In Japan, there is a proverb that says: "Cherry blossoms last for 7 days", that is, a cherry blossom opens to wither in about 7 days, and the whole cherry tree blossoms to give up in about 16 days, forming the characteristic of cherry blossoms falling as they blossom. It is this characteristic that makes cherry blossoms so attractive. Cherry blossoms are honored as the national flower not only because of their charm and beauty, but also because of their "grandeur" that fades after a short period of splendor. "If you want to know the soul of Yamato, look at the mountain cherry blossoms under the rising sun. The Japanese believe that life is short, and that one should live like the cherry blossoms, and even if one dies, one should leave decisively. When the cherry blossoms fade, they do not stain and are very dry, which is honored as the spirit of Japan. Cherry blossoms are the most favorite flower of Japanese people. The snow-like cherry blossoms symbolize the splendid and transient aesthetics of Japanese Bushido. In Japanese, "sakura time" refers to the time of year when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, i.e. spring. In spring, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, it is the most important event of the year for Japanese people to go to the place where the cherry blossoms bloom the most brilliantly, and eat sushi and drink sake while being intoxicated by "Hanabuki Hana-fubuki" (花吹雪 Hana-fubuki), a snowy blossom that flies all over the sky. Cherry blossom viewing is called "Hanami" in Japanese. Hanami is a unique Japanese way of enjoying the cherry blossoms. When the cherry blossom season starts in spring, people gather at famous cherry blossom viewing spots, sit under the pink and white blossom trees, raise their glasses and sing songs, laugh about spring, and capture the spring scenery. In this original Yamato style, the word "hanami" has even been incorporated as a proper English term, meaning Japanese cherry blossom viewing feast. The Japanese have a long history of cherry blossom viewing, which is generally believed to have originated from the cherry blossom feasts held in the palace during the Heian Period. Keicho three years (1598) March 15, Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Kyoto, Daigo Temple held in the Hanami (history called "Daigo Hanami"), for its luxury and splendor and famous in history. It was not until the Edo period that Hanami became a mid-year event for the common people of Japan. In April, Japan is filled with the smell of cherry blossoms, and the parks and streets are dotted with cherry trees in full bloom, making the country as delicate as a bonsai even more beautiful. As the national flower of Japan, cherry blossoms are loved by Japanese people and tourists. At present, there are more than 300 kinds of cherry blossoms in Japan***. The season of cherry blossoms is April, and they bloom in order from south to north, and the earliest place where you can enjoy cherry blossoms is the island of Okinawa, and the latest cherry blossoms are found in Hokkaido, which is the coldest place in Japan. Cherry blossoms don't last long, usually blooming for 10 days, like a pink cloud drifting across the whole of Japan from south to north. When the cherry blossoms are in bloom, you can smell the faint fragrance of the blossoms and enjoy the red, pink, and white cherry blossoms in the parks and at the flower viewing areas in the streets. At this time of the year, "Cherry Blossom Matsuri" is held all over Japan, where family and friends sit around the cherry trees, take out their own lunch boxes, drink champagne or sake, and talk and laugh, with petals of the flowers passing by in the breeze, and the crowd of people enjoying the blossoms, whether they know each other or not, nodding their heads in greeting, and even exchanging food. The crowd of flower lovers, whether they know each other or not, will nod and greet each other from time to time and even exchange food. Rather than enjoying the flowers, rather than enjoying the flowers so that we have a real "family day" and "friendship day", no wonder the Japanese people enjoy it, and even some companies will enjoy the cherry blossoms as the company's "designated projects! "No wonder Japanese people enjoy cherry blossom viewing. The most unique place to enjoy cherry blossoms in Japan is Hakone. Not only can you enjoy the cherry blossoms while soaking in the hot springs, but you can also enjoy a view of the serene and beautiful Mount Fuji. Located 90 kilometers west of Tokyo, Hakone is one of Japan's most iconic tourist destinations, surrounded by peaks. Hakone itself had several volcanic eruptions as early as 400,000 years ago, forming a conical volcano similar to Mt. Fuji, Mt. Hakone, and later, due to the subsidence of the central part, a large volcanic vent was formed, and the water accumulated in the crater formed Lake Ashinoko, a lake of bright-eyed white teeth. Visitors can still see steam and sulfurous fumes rising from the center of Mount Hakone. As a designated national park in Japan, Hakone also has a number of places of interest for visitors to see. In April, when spring colors come to Hakone, cherry blossoms open from the foot of Hakone, down the mountainside, and at the top of the mountain. Due to the long bloom period, visitors have a long time to enjoy the cherry blossoms, and the hot, smoky Japanese open-air hot springs and small, quaint Japanese-style inns that can be found everywhere in Hakone attract a large number of tourists every year for sightseeing and vacationing. In Japan in spring, from the beginning of March in Kyushu until the middle of May in Hokkaido, all the way from the south to the north, where this "cherry blossom front" advances, the cherry blossoms will take turns to flaunt to where the lively cherry blossom feast is also spreading from the south to the north. Cherry blossoms from full bloom to flower, only three or five days, once encountered rain, brilliant cherry blossoms may be the next day on the end, although the flower period is short-lived, the Japanese people are still lively to celebrate the feast, like a happy cherry blossom carnival, but also admire the spirit of the cherry blossoms.