Double cherry blossoms are blooming

Double cherry blossoms bloom later than ordinary cherry blossoms. Currently, they are blooming in many places in NYC.

Last night, I went to the Chanoyu class at the Urasenke Chanoyu Center on the Upper East Side in NYC and noticed that the cherry blossoms in front of the building were in fully blooming. This building was a carriage house and was once Mark Rothko's studio.

Usually, I walk quickly from the 68th Street subway station to the building to ensure I'm not late for class. After changing into a kimono, I prepared for the class However, yesterday I decided to capture one of my favorite views from across the street: the brick facade building through the double cherry blossoms. Once these flowers fall, it will be early summer. I wanted to share this beautiful moment with you.

Cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino

A few years ago, one of my friends showed me a photo of beautiful cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, Japan. While there are famous cherry blossom viewing spots all over Japan, Mt. Yoshino holds a special place as one of the most famous. Although I had seen thousands of cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino in magazines, when she excitedly described how splendid the cherry blossoms were with her photo, I was truly impressed. Don't you think these cherry blossoms are simply amazing?

Cherry blossoms on Mt.Yoshino in Nara, Japan

The cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino have been written in many waka, traditional Japanese poems, since ancient times. Even today, Mt. Yoshino remains abundant in nature, much like it was in ancient times, so looking at photos makes me feel as though I have been drawn into the world of waka poetry.

Unlike the cherry blossoms at other famous spots, the cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino are not just for cherry blossom viewing but are carefully protected as religious symbols closely related to mountain worship.

Approximately 1,300 years ago, Enno Gyoja (役行者)carved an image of Zao Gongen (蔵王権現) into a cherry tree and it is believed that the image would save the people in Japan and make the cherry tree a sacred symbol.

Since then, tree planting has continued, with approximately 30,000 trees currently planted, mainly Shiroyamazakura (白山桜). The best time to see them is in the order of Shimosenbon (下千本), Nakasenbon (中千本), Kamisenbon (上千本), and Okusenbon(奥千本), as they bloom from the bottom to the top of the mountain, offering a prolonged viewing period. This year, Shimosenbon will start to bloom from March 30th, followed by the Nakasenbon, Kamisenbon, and Okusenbon, with the latter expected to be in full bloom around April 14th. Currently, Mt. Yoshino is registered as a World Heritage Site.

While cherry blossoms can be seen in many places, viewing the cherry blossoms of Mt. Yoshino may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience I desire. I already missed a chance this year.

However, this month, I made cherry blossom-shaped Japanese sweets while thinking about Mt. Yoshino, and shared them at workshops and events. To my surprise, everyone loved the homemade Sakura Japanese sweets. Since the Sakura season is continuing, should I make more? Please enjoy the beautiful cherry blossom season!

Homemade cherry blossom-shaped Japanese sweets -Kohakuto （琥珀糖）

Spring colors

The spring mountains in the countryside of Japan west of Tokyo.

Dear friends,

My friend sent me a beautiful picture of the spring mountains in the countryside of Japan west of Tokyo. The cherry blossoms seem to have passed their peak there. The trees have begun to sprout new leaves, and are gradually changing their colors from light pink to tender green. We can enjoy the spring color change until all the trees are completely covered by new green leaves. 

Many traditional Japanese colors are named after elements in nature such as: very pale pink “cherry blossoms (桜)”, slightly purplish soft pink “pale red plum blossoms (薄紅梅)”, yellowish light green “new leaves (若葉)”, slightly bluish light green “young bamboo (若竹)”, and grayish brownish green “warblers (鶯)”. These are the colors of the mountains. These are not vivid colors, but slightly grayish and ambiguous ones with nuances which may be a result of the seasonal humid air in Japan. I recently made a traditional Japanese sweet using these spring colors. It is called “ukishima (浮島)” which is a sponge cake made with white beans.

A Japanese sweet “ukishima” with matcha

I have seen that cherry blossoms are fully blooming now in Washington DC, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, as well as in Central Park in NYC. So please enjoy various appearances of cherry blossoms.

All the best,

Kumiko