Sakura or Cherry Blossom is the Japanese name for ornamental cherry trees, Prunus serrulata, and their blossoms. Cherry fruit comes from a different species of tree. Sakura is also a given name. The word "sakura" becomes "zakura" when used in a compound word such as "shidarezakura".
Sakura is indigenous to the Himalayas, including northern India, and in east Asia such as China, Japan and Korea. Japan has a wide variety of sakura; more than 305 cultivars can be found there.Many were artificially hybridized or grafted by Japanese horticulturalists centuries ago.
During the Heian Period,the Japanese nobility sought to emulate many practices from China, including the social phenomenon of flower viewing,where the imperial households, poets, singers, and other aristocrats would gather and celebrate under the blossoms. The first recorded flower-viewing event took place at Kyoto's Shinsen-en Garden in 812. In China, the ume "plum" tree was held in highest regard, but by the middle of the ninth century, the sakura had replaced the plum as the favored species in Japan.
Every year the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the public track the sakura zensen as it moves northward up the archipelago with the approach of warmer weather via nightly forecasts following the weather segment of news programs. The blossoming begins in Okinawa in January and typically reaches Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April. It proceeds into areas at the higher altitudes and northward, arriving in HokkaidÅ a few weeks later. Japanese pay close attention to these forecasts and turn out in large numbers at parks, shrines, and temples with family and friends to hold flower-viewing parties. Hanami festivals celebrate the beauty of the sakura and for many are a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful view. The custom of hanami dates back many centuries in Japan: the eighth-century chronicle Nihon Shoki records hanami festivals being held as early as the third century CE.
Most Japanese schools and public buildings have sakura trees outside of them. Since the fiscal and school year both begin in April, in many parts of Honshū, the first day of work or school coincides with the cherry blossom season.
In China, the cherry blossom is a symbol of feminine beauty. It also represents the feminine principle and love in the language of herbs. In Japan, cherry blossoms symbolize the transience of life because of their short blooming times. They have also come to represent clouds of their nature of blooming en masse. Falling blossoms are metaphors for fallen warriors who died bravely in battle.[citation needed] This connotation links them with the samurai. This theme remains alive today and is often observed in pop culture, especially manga and anime. Music also works with the theme; for example, the band Kagrra often uses sakura in its songs and live shows for ambiance. The flower is also represented on all manner of consumer goods, including kimono, stationery, and dishware. Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, and as such are frequently depicted in art.[citation needed] There is at least one popular folk song, originally meant for the shakuhachi,titled "Sakura", and several pop songs.
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