Hanami

Hanami [花見] means "flower viewing" (from hana "flower" and mi "see"), but there's a lot more to this Japanese tradition... On one side, there's meditation and sensitivity to ephemeral beauty... But, on the other side, hanami also means lots of fun and good times, parties under the blooming trees, with sake or beer, eating tasty food brought from home or bought from the yatai food stalls while sitting on blue plastic picnic sheets...

Many people asked me what do I think about these parties... Some Westerners are considering them inappropriate, others are more understanding. What do I think? I think that hanami should not be judged by other standards. Simply put, that's the Japanese way: the blending of spirituality with fun, tasty food and good drinks can also be observed at matsuri festivals or on the New Year's celebrations and it is one of the aspects I love most about Japan...