As one of the nation’s most recognizable images, the Japanese cherry blossom tree is sometimes recognized as the unofficial national flower of Japan. It’s also a big factor in why tourists aspire to visit Japan in the spring.
They are planted in public parks around the nation and are prized for their exquisite flowers, which the Japanese celebrate with parties and picnics under the trees every spring.
During your 14-night voyage on Holland America Line’s MS Westerdam, you will see Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Hiroshima, and more on our cherry blossom cruise.
These twelve strange facts about the Japanese cherry blossom, or sakura, are provided in advance of our fantastic trip to Japan.
1. Scientists are working on creating a second Japanese cherry blossom season
Kyoto University botanists have discovered a method for genetically altering sakura plants to produce flowers in both the spring and the fall. While attempting to develop a rice grain that could be harvested more than once, they found this breakthrough.
Although they haven’t quite succeeded in creating a grain that tastes good enough to sell, using the same technique on cherry blossoms has produced encouraging results.
2. The blooms only last a week
After flowering, cherry blossom trees lose their delicate beauty after a week or so, as the petals fall to the ground, covering it in a blanket of pink.
This contributes to the reason why in Japanese culture, blooms can stand for brittleness and transient beauty.
3. Once the petals have fallen, cherry blossom season (hanami) is over
Hazakura, the term for the period between the new leaves blooming and the petals all falling off the trees, refers to this new season.
4. The sakura are constantly mutating
Over 600 distinct species of sakura flowers exist, including several hybrids. Variations in these species may be seen in the quantity of petals on the blossom, its size, color, and fruit output.
5. The number of petals give the flowers their names
Flowers with five petals or less are referred to as hitoe, and those with five to ten petals are referred to as hanyae. Flowers are referred to as yae if they have more than ten petals.
6. Japan is home to a 2,000-year-old sakura tree
The oldest cherry blossom tree in Japan is located in Yamanashi Prefecture’s Jissou Temple. This massive sakura tree, known as the Jindai Zakura, has an enormous root circumference of 13.5 meters.
7. The petals and leaves are eaten
The procedure of shiozuke, which involves soaking the petals and leaves in a salt solution, yields sakurazuke, which are edible leaves and petals.
After that, it’s either spread over bread or wrapped around the well-known mochi, a rice paste-based sweet snack that’s consumed throughout the hanami season in Japan.
Another way to make cherry blossom tea is to steep sakurazuke leaves in hot water. The water takes on a lovely pink tint as the leaf disperses and adds color to it.
8. Blossom tea is also popular in Japan
Another way to make cherry blossom tea is to steep sakurazuke leaves in hot water. The leaf gives the water a lovely pink tint and a little flavor as it diffuses into it and adds color. Tea is frequently consumed during festive events, such weddings.
9. The Japanese year follows the blossom
With the trees’ flowering in April, Japan’s business and academic years begin. During the festivities, you may mingle and meet your new coworkers and study partners.
10. Sakurako is a popular name in Japan
Sakurako, which means “child of the cherry blossom,” is a common name for females. The Japanese word ko means “child.”
11. The trees actually produce cherries
The trees’ tiny, sour-tasting cherries emerge in the summer after the blossoms have faded and are not suitable for human consumption, but birds like them as a snack!
12. They’re blossoming earlier
The cherry blossom season has been dropping earlier in the year on a constant basis due to climate change. Originally held in early May, the celebrations have progressively advanced throughout the calendar. The earliest peak since records have been kept began in Kyoto on March 26, 2021, more than 1,200 years ago.