.
I had posted this in another forum in Spring 2004

HANA, generally meaning FLOWER of any kind, but in spring it is the
name for the Cherry Blossom.
hanami ¡¦the cherry blossom viewing party. In old times, farmers
went out to see the wild cherry trees in the local forest to get a
hint at how the harvest would be this year. After hanami it was time
to tend to the wet rice fields. In many parts of my area, this is
still done. Since rice farming was essential for surviving, HANAMI
was the most important festival leading to a good harvest, thus it is
not forgotten even today.

The SA from SAKURA is a word leading to the 5. month of the old
calender (satsuki) and KURA/GURA comes from KAGURA, the famous dances
in Shinto Shrines. SAKURA is therefore the meaning of a holy dance in
May to evoke a good harvest. Now the calender has changed, but the
charm of Sakura and flower viewing has stayed with us.

Some more of my favorite kigo in connection with sakura (hana):
hanabie ¡¦a cold spell while the blossoms are already out
hanagoromo ¡¦your best kimono worn for a Hanami Party
hanagumori ¡¦clouded sky above the flowers
yozakura ¡¦enjoying the blossoms at night, whith drinks and friends.

Some pictures of Ueno Park, the most famous place for cherry blossom
viewing in Tokyo.
http://www.shihei.com/free01/uenokouen01.html

Kamakura and Sakura
http://tujik009.hp.infoseek.co.jp/kama/200004kama/index.html

This HP takes a while, but wait to see the amazing Dan-Kazura Street
of Kamakura
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~takei/kamakura200304/
http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~takei/photo-kamakura0323-2.htm

One memory from Kamakura, when my friend the rikshaw driver gave me a
free ride one evening for about 2 km along the famous road lined with
sakura, Dan-Kazura leading to the Hachiman Shrine.

Jinrikisha
Sakura no namiki
Toori ni keri

A rikshaw-ride
Along the cherry blossom alley
What a night!

Mit der Rikshaw
Durch die Kirschbluetenalee
Was fuer eine Nacht!

Daruma and Tsuyama Flower Viewing, my trip last year in Okayama
prefecture.
http://www.amie.or.jp/daruma/GABI-TANPOU-1-english.html
http://www.city.tsuyama.okayama.jp/sakurafes/shashin/index2.html
http://www.city.tsuyama.okayama.jp/sakurafes/shashin/index.html

Daigo-Sakura (Daigo-Zakura) in Ochiai, Okayama Prefecture
This is the oldest tree I have seen, more than 1000 years old. Go-
Daigo Tenno used to visit here, hence the name. We saw HIM last year,
well, never to forget this power spot!
There are more beautiful pictures of my area, so don't miss this.
http://www.page.sannet.ne.jp/mkajiha/sakura.html
In Japanese, incredibly powerful picutres of this old tree
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/oda/kaze/sakura/daigo.htm

Now we come to the real thing.
On this HP you can click on any of the green fields below, to see
cherry blossoms all over Japan
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/oda/kaze/asakura.htm
Here is one in front of Horyu-ji Temple in Nara
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/oda/kaze/sakura/2003/houryuji.htm
This HP will keep you busy until the next hanami season.


Gabi san

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Here is another explanation about the Sakura, featured in Simplyhaiku.

Sakura and the Japanese Mind
By Shigeru Awagi
Translated by Etsuko Yanagibori

Sakura is the spiritual place of rice paddy gods.

People in Japan started to culture rice in the Yayoi period (1900
years ago). The rice culture came from outside of Japan, with
implements, technique, and also mythology, religion, manner and
custom. For several centuries, Japanese culture affected and
assimilated rice culture. In old Japanese villages especially,
magical action and the spirit of religion were mixed with a part of
traditional Japanese culture. The rice crop civilization linked
with "sakura," a religion of magic. Old Japanese saw the same spirit
in the sakura and rice flowers. The gods who lived in sakura trees
came down to the rice garden from the mountains to give a richer rice
harvest. People thought that mountain sakura was a spiritual place of
the harvest gods.

Cherry blossoms bloom in deep mountains. Old Japanese people
predicted a successful harvest. People saw mountain gods in the
fullness of cherry blossoms, and they consecrated these blossoms to
the gods. They believed that the gods gave them a rich harvest of
rice. Japanese people had lived with the changing seasons of nature
in their agricultural culture. The people were broad-minded and
gentle because of nature. They believed in the religion of nature
worship. It was an archetype, the inner climate of Japan.

Court nobles who were captivated by Ume (apricot blossoms) in the
Nara period.

In ancient Japan, cherry blossoms were objects of religious
veneration. Since the Nara period (710-784AD) cherry blossoms were
cultivated in villages. Ume (Apricot blossoms) pleased the Japanese
envoy to the Tang Dynasty, and the Japanese nobility in the Nara
period, who were captivated by the color and scent. Ume blossoms
bloom before Sakura. Sakura is gorgeous. Ume is elegant and graceful.
The noblemen were enthralled by apricot blossoms. They preferred to
eat the plums after enjoying the blossoms too.

In spring apricot blossoms bloom first.
I was looking for the blooming alone in twilight
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yamanoueno Okura.

The viewing of blossoms culture came from China and penetrated the
Japanese nobility. It was called "Miyabi", aristocratic culture. With
sakura, cherry blossoms, it is of course popular in Japan in this age
too. There are sakura poems in Manyo Poetry.

Prosperous Nara city,
The beauty of a full scent of cherry blossoms,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .~ Onono Oyu

Manyou people who lived in the Nara period liked sakura and ume both.
They enjoyed sakura after ume blossoms. But the poetry selections of
Manyou poetry included about 120 ume poems. Sakura poetry only
accounted for 40 poems in the Manyou poetry book (over 4500 poems).
They might have thought that Ume blossoms were fresher.

The Manyo poetry collection contains the oldest extant poetry in
Japan. Comprised of 20 volumes of poems, long and short, written by
people of all classes and ages, between AD 400 and AD 759, it is said
to contain the people¡Çs living voice.
Sakura became major blossoms in the Heian period.

The way of thinking about sakura changed over the ages. The thinking
of Sakura grew in people's minds in each age. In 812 AD, the Japanese
capital city was moved to Kyoto by the Saga emperor, who started
Hanami (cherry blossoms viewing) at Shisenen garden. Cherry blossom
viewing was originally for Sechie (seasonal party of the upper ranges
of society). The first title of the invocation of poetry at the party
is Sakura (cherry blossoms).

Cherry blossoms became the most important flower of the party in the
Heian period. The poetry of the Heian period was refined and elegant
in the beauties of nature. A lot of noblemen made Sakura poems.

Looking at the Mountain Sakura in mist
I miss a person who looks at the Sakura
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Kino Tsurayuki

If there were no cherry blossoms in the world,
My mind would not be peaceful.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Fujiwara Norihira

Many old Japanese poets made graceful cherry blossom poetry. Viewing
cherry blossoms was a happiness in their lives. People read the
poetry and people told their mind in the cherry blossom poetry.
Sakura became a mentality of blossoms for Japanese.

Cherry blossoms are beautiful and perish.

Cherry blossoms bloom in spring, and are gone in a few days. People
saw that their lives were like the cherry blossoms. The time is
passing with falling cherry blossoms. People watched falling cherry
blossoms with a sense of mortality.

Shining spring day
Falling cherry blossoms with my calm mind
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .~ Kino Tomonari

Japanese poets viewed the falling cherry blossoms variously. They
represented beauty in the Japanese consciousness.

Cherry blossoms are glorious and pure.

Presently, a deep mind loves cherry blossoms. Prominent people live
within the cherry blossom spirit. Saigyo is one of the great priests
of the age.

Wishing to die under cherry blossoms in spring
Cherry blossom season in full moon time
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Saigyo

Sleeping under the trees on Yoshino mountain
The spring breeze wearing Cherry blossom petals
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Saigyo

So, the cherry blossom holds a popular place in Japan. People journey
to find beauty; the symbol is sakura. People look for something deep
in the sakura. Sakura became a symbol of the Japanese mind. The
falling of cherry blossoms was used to represent the Japanese Samurai
spirit. After the Edo period, the Japanese people loved to view
cherry blossoms on their holidays. This is the basis of the Japanese
concept of cherry blossoms in Haiku. Haiku is a search for the
beauty, falling, purity and spirit of cherry blossoms' inner part.

http://www.poetrylives.com/SimplyHaiku/SHv2n4/features/Shigeru_Awagi.h
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