Ohanami

The cherry blossoms are out!  Actually, they were out. They're almost gone now - I'm a little behind in my posts...  It's a national pastime here in Japan to go view the cherry blossoms each spring.  They even have a name for cherry blossom viewing: ohanami.  A couple weekends ago, we set out to experience this annual phenomenon - I with the Welbi along a river in the city, and Jon on a bike ride in the mountains.  While we certainly thought the blossoms were beautiful, the true phenomenon was the hundreds (thousands?) of Japanese people on their blue tarps, picnicking with bento boxes, sake, and beer under the trees. It was nice to see so many people enjoying the natural world - even if it was a bit crowded.  Our school also participated in the ohanami festivities by having a staff party out on the Green Belt (a path around Rokko Island) under the blossoms.  The women of Canadian Academy host this party for the men of CA each year, in return for the Valentine's breakfast they host for us.  A rather civilized tradition, I must say.