Sakura, and what they are to Japan

When many Western cultures think of Japan many associate the country with sakura (桜) or Japanese cherry blossoms. However there is no official national flower of modern-day Japan and the Imperial seal was a sixteen-petal chrysanthemum. So why is it that we think of cherry blossoms when we think of Japan? Well it all started back in 710-794 in Japan during the Nara Period.

            Hanami (花見 lit. flower viewing) is a century old custom of holding picnics under blossoming sakura trees. However from the Heian period to the Edo period the practice of hanami became more common among the differing classes when before it was only common among the elite of the Imperial Court. The symbolism of the Japanese sakura blossom has commonly been representative of clouds due to the flowers nature of blooming en masse (blooming in giant somewhat separate bundles,) however they were also popularized as a constant example of the ephemeral quality of life. This concept is a central aspect of mono no aware (物の哀れ)  which is a Japanese tradition strongly associated with the Buddhist influence in Japan. Mono no aware is translated as “the gentle wistfulness of things” a concept that conveys an awareness of the transience of things in this world.  The sakura is used as an example for mono no aware due to the short life span of the sakura. The typical life span for a common sakura blossom is generally a week which demonstrates the beauty of them but also how one can have a wistful sadness since their beauty will fade within a mere week.

            While mono no aware lays claim to the sakura flower as a demonstration of its core ideas the sakura flower is also an example of the Japanese ideal of wabi-sabi (侘寂) which can be broken down into in two distinct ideas. Wabi (侘) can be thought of as the beauty in imperfection. Sabi (寂) can be thought of as the wistful sadness about the impermanence of the object. Wabi-sabi is somewhat similar to mono no aware , however the difference pertains to the object which has impermanence. Mono no aware is generally used to refer to living things such as plants animals and humans where as wabi-sabi pertains to objects and things that have no life such as rocks, tea cups, and brick walls. To insert a visual aid look at the picture below: 

This scene is absolutely stunning however the clay wall is stained with orang and brown spots. This reflects the aspect of wabi in the picture since it shows the perfection in the imperfection. Although the wall is stained it still is aesthetically pleasing, showing that although it hasn’t retained its original colour it still is still perfect geometrically.  The sabi element here is the rock garden that is beautiful and perfect, however it is easily messed up and since we don’t know how long it will last, this truly reflects the sabi in this scene.

            In all the sakura blossom is very important to Japan, and although it is not the official flower of japan the symbolic representations of the sakura flower have greatly popularized it since 710. Since the sakura flower was, and continues to be, an integral part of the daily Japanese experience (whether it be in art, poetry, or philosophy) during the formation years of the nation of Japan it is no doubt that when foreigners arrived they saw many depictions and writings about the sakura blossom and often wrote about it in their letters back home. This is why it is common for westerners generally tend to associate the sakura with Japan.