Sakura and the season of cherry blossoms are celebrated in Japanese literature, poetry and art. Since the Sakura tree blooms only briefly the blossoms themselves are seen as a metaphor for the magnificence of life and the ephemeral beauty of living – however fleeting. Celebrating living beauty, the Japanese people have a lovely tradition called Hanami (flower viewing).
Hanami is a very old tradition. Each year when the blossoms come and life begins anew, the parks are filled with patrons making their annual pilgrimage to the see the blossoms and to have a little fun. The practice was first associated with plum blossoms but today it is mostly associated with cherry blossoms since the Heian Period (794-1185). Everyone brings a blanket to have a little picnic under the trees or comes to take a walk among the trees and watch as the petals fall like snow in the wind or the sun shines through the almost opaque blossoms. It’s a beautiful time to celebrate the seasons and have a good time while appreciating the beauty of nature.
Artists throughout the centuries have documented Hanami including Kitao Shigemasa in his print of an eighteenth century Hanami party scene in Asukayama Park – opened by Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune (1684 – 1751) who had the famous cherry trees planted in the park in 1720. There is a haiku poem that accompanies the print describing the arboreal and human blossoms (the man and women at the hanami flower viewing party):
Murekitaru / Hana mata hana no /
Asukayama
All flocked together / Blossoms upon
blossoms / Asuka Hill
Blossoms of the Sakura Trees
Artists during the Edo Period (1600 – 1868) made woodblock prints of important places throughout Japan that often showed the seasons including cherry blossoms of spring and trees associated with various times of year. One well known artist is Hiroshige with his iconic Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji. One of his woodblock prints in the series shows Mount Fuji in the background and a donkey and people traveling a mountain trail above the Torii gate with cherry blossoms along the route.
Delo Projet, inspired by these grand Sakura trees and the tradition of celebrating such beauty filmed some quiet moments in the mountains as well as traditional Hanami flower viewing celebrations in local parks. His films capture Japanese life at its essence. The beauty of springtime in Japan is something that engenders much joy and celebration and a lightness of heart along with a feeling of looking ahead to the future. This is certainly part of what one must feel when viewing this gorgeous gift of cherry blossoms. Delo Projet’s lens captures the beauty of the blossoms and the joy of celebrating these wonderful Sakura trees and their delicate blossoms as part of a yearly tradition; a part of Japanese life, art, culture, literature, and now film and photography.
Lake Kamakita in the mountains of Saitama Province
Young Sakura Trees in the park, waiting for the picnic.
Related Posts
The Wind of Bretagne: A Film By Deloprojet
10000
The beauty of the beaches of Bretagne in France and forests of magical Huelgoat are featured in Deloprojet's gorgeous film called Vent de Bretagne or The Wind of Bretagne. My favorite part is the wave from the surfer on the beach and then the golden time-lapse. Other great moments…
Video of the Day: Serenite by Filmmaker, Deloprojet
10000
Video of the Day: Serenite by Filmmaker, Deloprojet Filmed in Japan, Serenite, is a beautiful quiet meditation on the world of temples and forests in the prefecture of Saitama, Japan. The location is the Neno-gongen temple. This is the real Japan. You can see more of Deloprojet's work on his website at:…
Deloprojet's Demo Reel: A Journey Through Japan, France And The U.S.
10000
Filmed mostly in 2012 and 2013, Deloprojet's Demo Reel, set to music from Moby is a fantastic journey through three countries and across continents. It includes beautiful places, national parks and high tech cities like Tokyo. I really enjoy this demo reel. I hope you will too. You can see…
Sunset At White Sands by Filmmaker Deloprojet
10000
Sunset At White Sands by Filmmaker Deloprojet One of Deloprojet's most serene and beautiful films, White Sands, brings the desert landscape of White Sands National Monument in New Mexico alive. The film is almost a mediation of one gorgeous landscape after another. Truly a beautiful film. I recommend you…