Cherry Blossom is also known as Sakura ((桜 or 櫻).

Japan is famous of its Cherry Blossom. It is a well-known and ubiquitous symbol of Japan. Many places in Japan are immersed in Cherry Blossom, including castles, temples, shrines and formal gardens. They (Cherry Blossom) are represented on all manner of consumer goods such as kimono, stationery, and dishware.

Japan's most beloved variety of cherry blossom is the Somei Yoshino.

Somei Yoshino

Its flowers are nearly pure white, tinged with the palest pink, especially near the stem. The flowers bloom, and usually fall (or “scatter”) within a week, before the leaves come out. Therefore, the trees look nearly white from top to bottom.

Other categories of cherry blossom include yamazakura, yaezakura, and shidarezakura. Yaezakura have large flowers, thick with rich pink petals; Shidarezakura (weeping cherry), has branches that fall like those of a weeping willow, bearing cascades of pink flowers.

The blossoming begins in Okinawa in February, and typically reaches Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April. Then it proceeds north, arriving in Hokkaido a few weeks later. Japanese pay close attention to these cherry blossom forecasts and they will go to parks, shrines and temples with family and friends and hold a "flower viewing party" known as hanami (花見).

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