A flower that does not stay
The cherry trees in a city open within days of each other, and the petals fall about a week later. That short life is the heart of the flower’s meaning. Japanese has a phrase for the feeling it gives: mono no aware, a gentle sadness at the passing of things, and the joy of seeing them while they last.
Hanami: flower viewing
Hanami means looking at flowers, and in practice it is a picnic under the cherry trees. People spread sheets in the park early to save a spot, bring food and drinks, and often stay into the evening, when some parks light up the trees – yozakura, cherry blossoms at night. The custom goes back more than a thousand years, to court poets who wrote about the blossoms.
The cherry blossom front
Somei Yoshino, the pale pink variety planted along rivers and in parks, is the tree most people mean by sakura. It opens first in the warm south and moves north over about two months, and forecasters call this line the sakura zensen, the cherry blossom front. In Tokyo the trees usually bloom in late March; in Hokkaido, in late April or May.
Sakura in everyday life
The Japanese school and business year starts in April, so cherry blossoms mark new beginnings: entrance ceremonies, first jobs, first days. In spring you will also find sakura-flavored sweets and drinks, and pink sakura mochi wrapped in a salted cherry leaf.
Our sakura tees
Cherry Blossom T-Shirt
Sakura branches, the kanji for sakura and a spring landscape, for the few weeks a year when everything blooms. Soft Softstyle cotton in 11 colors, sizes XS–5XL.
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Sakura Folding Fan T-Shirt
A black lacquered fan painted with cherry blossoms and gold leaf, tied with red tassels. In Japan a fan widens as it opens, so it is given as a wish for good fortune. Soft Softstyle cotton in 11 colors, sizes S–3XL.
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Ichigo Ichie T-Shirt
The four kanji for ichigo ichie – one time, one meeting – with a branch of cherry blossoms. A reminder to treasure every moment with the people you love. Soft Softstyle cotton in 11 colors, sizes S–3XL.
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