Blossom (Part 2)

Spring is a busy time in Japan, horticulturally speaking. Shortly after ume, there is peach blossom (momo), but these are both mere au d'oeuvres for the main course that is sakura. The national flower, and a very cheesy song, cherry blossom is a delicate bloom, lasting little more than a week, and there is much speculation about, and anticipation of, when this annual event will occur. A unexpected deluge of rain, or an unseasonally strong wind can ruin the spectacle in an instant. As the Japanese are obsessed with the weather, this allows them the luxury of killing two birds with one stone.

By general consensus the optimum day for sakura viewing this year was April 7th, coincidentally Jessica's birthday, and we took the train to Shukugawa, about halfway between Kobe and Osaka. Stretching a little over 4km, some 2,300 cherry trees line the banks of the Shukugawa River.

People back home might wonder what the big deal is about cherry blossom. We've got one in our garden and its bloody annoying actually, as all it does is drop cherry stones into the fish pond. But when you see 2,300 of them you cannot help but be impressed by their ephemeral beauty. Sarah commented that it's like being in a strange snow scene; strange because it's not cold and it's not winter.

The locals are impressed too - they flock in droves to the nearest blossom-heavy beauty spot to indulge in hanami parties - a diminution of hana mimasu, or 'looking at flowers'. They picnic along the banks of the river, munching on maki and sipping from cans of Kirin. Unlike any event in the UK where alcohol is involved, there is no lewd or disorderly behaviour, and any rubbish is neatly stacked in the correct place (no doubt sorted according to recyclability). This is Japan. You can have a good time without swearing loudly or showing anyone your buttocks.

What is a little strange is the fact that the 'river' seems more like a storm drain. We first noticed this in Kurashiki, and it turns out that all rivers in Japan are like this, because they effectively ARE storm drains. Japan's mountains are so close to the coast, and the country so prone to typhoons, that the cities are very vulnerable to flash-flooding. So the all rivers have been literally engineered - clad in concrete with deep banks - to more or less eradicate this risk. So while nature rules supreme along the river bank, cherry stones are the least of the problems facing freshwater fish, who are busy strapping on their crampons to negotiate their way upstream.