It is a tradition for the Japanese to go for a hanami, which means flower-viewing. It is thought to have began during the Nara Period (710-794). Hanami parties are held across Japan, with the locals having food and drinks beneath the trees. Traditionally hanami associates with cherry blossom viewing parties, but the Japanese also hold hanami beneath wisteria and plum blossom too. The Japanese believed the sakura trees contained spirits, which offered the locals with rice wine. The cherry blossom festival is so important that forecasts are published each year.
Cherry blossoms in full bloom at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo, Japan.
