Kurokage Ninja diary: Sakura (cherry-blossom)

Hi, my name is Kurokage Ninja.

The season for sakura(cherry-blossom) viewing has come.

From old times sakura(cherry-blossom) has been loved Japanese people.

Old emperors and old poet loved sakura.
A poets read out the 'waka(和歌)' sakura is the subject, and the emperors planted sakura.
'Waka' is old Japanese song that is as if poem.

In old 'waka' poems the word 'hana(means flower)' , means nothing but sakura.
A famous warlords Hideyoshi Toyotomi planted sakura and watch sakura(ohanami/お花見) with alacrity.

Japanese feel beautiful that sakura flowering and sakura dropping only a week after they flowered.

Sakura is like life in that they are both gorgeous and ephemeral and many waka have been created to reflect this.

Sakura is symbol for Samurai spirit(chivalry).
Sakura dropping is compared to die in action and battle.

So sakura is special for Japanese people.

Today, the song sakura is the subject sung.

Ketsumeishi / Sakura