Spring has come, and with it, has come one of the most cherished scenes in Japan: Sakura - cherry blossoms!
I went to a little hill in town this afternoon where they built a monument many years ago, commemorating the legend that the first emperor of Japan had set sail to Yamato (where the ancient capital was built) from our local port.
Together with the monument, one can see a whole bunch of cherry blossoms.
Unfortunately they were not in full bloom, but still beautiful. In fact, very beautiful.
This is one of the moments that we feel "Japanese." The reason why the cherry has a special appeal to our people is due to its ephemeral nature: after all, their blossoms last only a week or so.
They endure a cold winter, make preparations for bloom, and open up just for the week's glory.
And THAT is so appealing to us.
