Screwed up…
The silly people over at the Meteorological Agency and their silly program made a mistake. The cherry blossoms will not bloom in Tokyo as early as predicted….which totally screws up my weekend next weekend as hanami is organized for then. They have released new dates (so far only in Japanese I think), predicting that they start to bloom on the 23rd but I just don`t trust them now. The article here explains that the program they use, with all the data collected through from September last year til now screwed up. I do hope that they are blooming well and good before the 24th…otherwise there will be some very disappointed people…and I am not just talking about our group of people…but the hundreds and thousands of people that who have no doubt already organized to have hanami around that time!!!
I still remember my first ever hanami…and the first time I saw sakura. The first time I saw sakura was the weekend I after I arrived in Japan for the first time, in the park near the university and during the tour of the university a week after I arrived. People get so damned excited about it all. My first hanami party was actually at night…Strange but true! It was during uni orientation and two of the guys I lived with had joined one of the soccer clubs at Seikei Uni…and in April each year, when uni starts, clubs have welcome parties for new members and this one just happened to be in the park at night during cherry blossom time and we were invited to join in. That week was already crazy and filled with millions of other drinking parties (We kind of just rocked up wherever we wanted to, for some reason we didn`t have to become members of the clubs or circles to join in…The weirdest thing was that most of the time we didn`t have to pay either…I even joined a tennis circle despite the fact I can not play tennis…) Basically these parties consisted of people making you drink while singing silly drinking songs and shouts of iki iki iki (Basically meaning down it!!) One of the best parties of the week though was in the park that night….Drinking, red faced men and cherry blossoms…really showed off the Japanese culture I know and love!
I thought I would post some old sakura and hanami pictures from the two years I have spent in Japan during the mad cherry blossom time. Keep in mind that it is usually all over after 2 weeks, less if it rains but it is without one of the best times of the year to be here. Despite the crowds you must battle to find a good hanami spot!! I do hope this years blossoms come out soon, and put on a good showing!
Tomorrow I am going on an excursion with the kiddies to the park featured in photos 3 and 4. We are going bug catching with the kids…and the best thing about living so class to the park is that I don`t have to get up until 8:45 tomorrow. Usually I start work at 9 but tomorrow the parents will drop their kids off at the park at 10:00, meaning I don`t have to be there until 9:45! Bonus. Other great thing…tomorrow is Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ps: Expect to see many many more cherry blossom and hanami photos in the next month!!!!!!! I say next month because who knows when the bloody things will start blooming!
pps: We should so introduce a hanami like custom in Australia…am happy to provide advice for anybody who would like to start it! It is simply the best thing ever. Nothing better than getting drunk with friends while sitting on a blue sheet eating picnic food and watching the flowers! Wjho agrees?
I want to introduce Australia Day BBQ with friends here while listening to triple J hottest 100…as that was an old tradition I participated in up until moving here! ANy others living in Japan want to try this next year?
ppps: I read something last year, don`t remember where, but apparently there are more ER visits around hanami and cherry blossom time due to drunk salary men climbing the trees to get a bit of a look and fallin out. Does anyone know where I could of heard this or read this? Or did I dream it?
Popularity: 2% [?]
Similar Posts:
I just missed the sakura viewing when I was in Okinawa, and then missed it when I went back.
sigh.
I heard that about ER visits too. Apparently some of the injuries are from drunk salarymen falling out of trees, and some are from people being landed on when drunk salary men fall out of trees. Either way, with your track record maybe you should wear a stackhat?!
Suzy x
What’s a salary man?
I didn’t know that the cherry blossom season was so closely watched by the meterorological people, to the point of predicting dates! That’s incredible! I also didn’t know it went for such a short amount of time- I’d love to see it. For now, I’ll have to make do with your photos
I’d be happy if it waited until the 28th of April ;o)
oooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my tummy is churning
I saw the news reports!!!
I guess this means we will have to have two parties!!!
Don’t worry we have a plan B…Nick and I are going to construct a spectacular centre piece made of billions (well maybe not billions) of 100 yen sakura so that even if they are not in the trees they will be were we are!!!
Are you going to postpone???? Please let me know!
p.s. I will head on over to your hood on Thursday I think, just to see the progress with my own eyes!!
I am so jealous… these photos are amazing! I look forward to your photos from the upcoming season!
Audrey^ I would love to be in Okinawa for sakura season. The weather would be walmer and they already have such nice flora down there that I am sure I could see some other great flowes and such. Okinawa is awesome isn`t it!!!
Suzy- Maybe I heard it from you then? Or from someone from the old office? Did you here that Anna had her baby?? I will be on the look out during hanami for falling salary men!
Amanda- Spring is a great time to be in Japan, even if during cherry blossom season it is still a bit cold.
Basically a salary man is anyone that works for a company and earns a monthly salary…Someone on a suit!!! My bf is technically a salary man.
Enny- What I hope is that it comes out before next weekend, stops and then comes out when you are here. How is that for a comprmise. I will see what I can do!!!
Sushi- I mailed you! But of course I am not going to postpone…On Thursday when you arrive give me a message…I have work til 5:30 and then again from 7 but I am free in that one and a half hour block if you want to meet up for a coffee and discuss what a disastor it is if the blossoms haven`t started!!! hehe.
Chickbabe- The photos don`t do justice! I hope to catch some better ones this year!! I will be definitely posting a lot of photos as the blossoms come out.
I’ll start a petition for the festival down under
Love the pictures
Miss Natalie- Sounds good!!! Definitely will be worth it…even if australia cherry blossom festivals are held around gumtrees, or wattle! Drinking outside with friends and eating picnic food works anywhere!
is there a lot of japanese in japan