Cherry blossoms are a crowd-pleaser in several areas across the world, including Vancouver and Washington, D.C., but there is no better place to see the pinkest blossoms than Okinawa, Japan. It is Japan's first area where cherry trees bloom around mid-February, whereas the rest of the country sees blossoms closer to April and into May.
In Japan, the cherry blossoms are revered. During the cherry blossom season, picnickers flock to orchards across the country to engage in hanami, which translates as “looking at flowers.” So why are cherry blossoms so revered in Japan? Their short-lived bloom echoes the Japanese cultural heritage of valuing beauty's fleeting nature. Cherry blossom season also represents new beginnings, coinciding with the new school year and the new financial calendar in Japan: April 1. Plus, they are just breathtakingly beautiful.
