花見は素晴らしいですよ！

I am so terrible at blogging! I used to be really good and on top of it- what happened to those days? Anyways, May was a busy and packed month, so I haven’t had a whole lot of time until now. I’ll start by talking about one of my favorite parts of Spring in Japan… hanami.

花見 literally translates to “flower view.”

And literally, that is what you do. Ever Spring, Japan is known for its beautiful cherry blossoms that bloom and take over the country. Starting from the south and eventually making its way north, this is also a time for festivities and joy as people do hanami, the art of sitting under the cherry blossoms with a blue tarp under you, picnicking and drinking until you pass out.

Trust me, it sounds a lot harder than it looks.

The purpose of hanami is to celebrate the beginning of Spring, and with it, a new start to everything. This is why businesses and schools begin their fiscal years in April. For many like me, it’s simply an excuse to go out, drink, and soak in the warmth after it had been freezing for four months. Although in Sendai’s case, it was still pretty damn chilly.

My first hanami was with my friend Ben in Ogawara, a small town half-an-hour away from Sendai. His town is known for its beautiful sakura trees that line the JR train tracks and form a large park over the Shiroishi River. We spent the day chillin’ under a really hot sun, and the blossoms looked spectacular! Street food from the vendors plus a lot of beer made for some good times. It was also the first time we had hung out since the earthquake. While this year’s celebrations were smaller because of the disasters, people still made it out to enjoy the flowers.

My second hanami was with my fellow birthday partner, Siobhan, right in Sendai. We celebrated under the trees with a chocolate birthday cake and some Strong Zeroes. By that point, it was getting a bit cloudy, but the blossoms looked just as cool as they did when it was shining.

My third and final hanami of the season was with a couple of ALTs and our Japanese friends at the same park. Loads of booze and snacks occupied the day, and I had so much fun spending the last few days with these trees before they started dying.

Something so simple as sitting under a pink flowered tree and drinking beer just has such a special meaning behind it. I can’t wait to do this again next year.