iN HAMAMATSU.COM | Recommend | Ohanami

As cherry blossoms, a national flower of Japan, begin to bloom, "Ohanami" scenes are seen in various parks. People come together and drink tea, alcohol, eat together and enjoy themselves under these beautiful flowers. There are numerous kinds of "Hana (flowers)", but "cherry blossoms" are a must for Japanese Hanami. In addition, "cherry blossom" is a synonym for "spring" in Japan. Come out and enjoy the warmth of spring under these cherry blossoms!

It is said that Ohanami began as a farmer's feast before the busy season, taking a break and praying for a good harvest in the next season. Since there were no calendars at that time, the flowering of cherry blossoms played an important role in letting the farmers know it was time to begin planting seeds. Furthermore, it was said that if the colors of the cherry blossoms were faded, the weather would be good that summer, or if there were many white flowers, harvest would be good. The flower was used to forecast that year's harvest. They were closely tied to the lives of farmers.
During the Heian period, the nobility began to note the beauty of this flower. It became customary for them to enjoy banquets under these trees. In no time, these occasions became something they looked forward to.
During the Edo period, as the basis of government switched to Edo style, many trees were planted in various locations. The general population began to enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms, which led to the modern customs of Ohanami.

During Hanami season, we often see sakuramochi and ohanami dango on sale. It is said that when Hideyoshi Toyotomi hosted a large-scale Hanami, he provided everyone with sweets. This began the customs of eating sweets during Hanami.

There are two types. One is the Kanto-style made with baked flour wrapped around a rice cake, like a crepe. The other is the Kansai-style made with steamed and dried mochi-rice, covered by coarsely ground wrap. Both kinds are wrapped with cherry blossom leaves soaked in salt. One theory suggests that a gatekeeper of a shrine suggested such use for leftover cherry blossom leaves. FYI, most sakuramochi found in Hamamatsu is Kansai style.

A pink, white, and green dango on a stick is called ohanami dango. There are many theories as to why these colors were chosen. One suggests that pink and white are said to bring good luck, and green is known to repel evil. Another suggests it's a play on words. The pink represents "cherry blossom" of spring, white represents "snow" of winter, and green represents "plants" of summer. Since autumn ("aki" in Japanese) is missing, it is "Aki-nai" ("Nai" means missing). "Akinai" also means, "You do not get tired of it" in Japanese. FYI, in the old Japanese saying, "Hana yori dango" (translates to "dango over flowers", meaning practical over the aesthetic), it is said that "hana" refers to the cherry blossom flowers, while "dango" refers to the ohanami dango.

※Please note that the best time for each Ohanami (cherry blossom viewing) is purely a forecast. The forecasted timing may differ due to the weather condition and other circumstances.

Hamamatsu Castle Park Cherry Blossom Festival
March 18 (Sat) ~ April 4 (Sun), 2023

Visitors can enjoy viewing approx. 330 cherry trees, including mainly Somei-Yoshino (Yoshino cherry), Shidarezakura(weeping cherry), Yamazakura, and Oshimazakura, and the cherry blossoms are lit up during the period.

Cherry Blossom Festival
March 25 (Sat) and 26 (Sun), 2023

Night Cherry Blossom Light-Up
Late March ~ Early April, 2023

Lake Hamana Flower Festa 2023
March 21 (Tue) ~ June 11 (Sun), 2023

You can enjoy seeing seasonal flowers in bloom at fifteen sites in Hamamatsu

The Princess Road Procession
March 25 (Sat), 2023

（This event will be held online in 2022）Including the princesses dressed in gorgeous costumes based on research of the period, a procession of about 100 people parades through Kiga.

Okuyama Houkouji Details for：
https://www.inhamamatsu.com/culture/okuyama-houkouji.php

Flower Festival
April 1 (Sat) ~ May 7 (Sun), 2023

Okuyama Kogen Details for：
https://www.inhamamatsu.com/activity/okuyama-kogen.php

Light-Up
March 26 (Sun) ~ April 1 (Sat), 2023

Official site : http://www.gansuiji.jp/ (Japanese)

There are many other great locations to enjoy cherry blossoms. It is not too much to say that cherry blossoms = spring. Let's go out and enjoy the glorious scene of Sakura, only available for a limited time!

2022.3.12 update
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