When spring comes, the cherry trees all over Japan burst into bloom with whitish pink flowers.

Since ancient times, people have admired the cherry blossoms and composed poetry inspired by them.

The cherry blossoms bloom for only a very short period and their petals flutter down all too quickly.
People love the cherry blossoms all the more because they feel the evanescence of life in that scene.

One of the people’s great pleasures of life is to hold various parties beneath a grove of cherry trees in full bloom, such as eating special picnic lunches and dumplings, drinking sake and beer and even outdoor tea ceremonies.