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Cherry blossoms and Japanese culture
Since the two centuries before the year 1000, in Japan a celebration is celebrated in which the cherry blossom acts as the only great protagonist. We are talking about Hanami, the festival that celebrates the ritual of observing flowers. Despite its literal meaning, this refers entirely to cherry blossoms, whose flowering occurs in the period of April.
The symbolism related to Cherry blossoms owes much to this recurrence and to the value it represents for the Japanese. The idea of rebirth and auspiciousness represented by the flowering is in fact associated with an important period like April, when the school year ends and many Japanese students leave school to enter the world of university and work.
Symbols linked to the world of war
As we know, the Japanese military tradition boasts a very long history that must be sought in the ancient myth of the samurai. The sakura, in its perfection and tenacity can only be associated with the Japanese warrior ambit. The Bushidō that is the perfect knight must possess all the characteristics that the sakura exalts in its extreme harmony. This must in fact show extreme loyalty while maintaining a pure spirit like cherry blossoms.
He must also be honest and courageous, showing the same courage that the sakura manifests when it is time to abandon the tree and let the wind carry it to the ground. The samurai must in fact have full knowledge of his own abilities and destiny, so much so as to sacrifice his life when necessary, in order to protect his people and the ideal for which he fought courageously.
The perfection of the five petals of the sakura must be seen by the samurai as a model to strive for, an example to aspire to in the difficult moments of his journey. The detachment from the tree, seen as the detachment from the materiality of life, must be considered as a sacred act of dedication to the principle that determined one's vows.
This symbology is not to be considered only in relation to the ancient warrior tradition, but we also find the reproduction of the cherry blossom on the ohka bombs used by the Japanese in the Second World War during the attack on American ships. The Kamikazes themselves used the cherry blossom as a symbol to represent their destiny during the various battles. Their suicidal mission is in fact consecrated by the sakura as a gesture of moral greatness and extreme sacrifice. Death in this case does not represent the end of one's existence but the beginning of one's spiritual consecration towards a path of rebirth and inner elevation, which is impossible to achieve by leading the earthly life alone.
In fact, many Japanese temples contain cherry blossoms. Many of them are placed in sacred places dedicated to commemorating the victims of wars or the fighters themselves of important national battles. In this case the sakura is both a sign of homage to their loyalty and their courage and auspicious element in view of their life beyond death.
Meaning of cherry blossoms: Japanese flowers
Japan as we have seen in this article has a real passion for flowers. There are numerous cults and ceremonies that enhance this gift of nature and enhance its beauty. Cherry blossoms are certainly one of the most appreciated and valued species of flowers in Japanese culture but they are not the only flowers that love and celebrate the Japanese.
The Japanese have a strong symbolism linked to the world of flowers and exploit this symbolism both in art, in painting and in decoration. One of the most used flowers after the cherry blossom is the chrysanthemum. The chrysanthemum is the official flower of Japan and in fact appears on the emblem of the Imperial family.
Another flower widely used in the Japanese symbolism It is the camellia, also called rose of Japan. Thanks to the characteristic, typical of these flowers, of detaching from the plant and still falling to the ground, the camellia has become a symbol of the tenacity of the Japanese fighters and of all the Japanese who have sacrificed their young life without bowing to the enemy.
