Torii: Portals of the gods
Omamori: Pockets of protection
Hanami: The art of fleeting beauty
Senbazuru: One thousand wings of hope
Betsubara: The science of the second stomach
YOUR GOAL
Master of The invisible threads of Japanese ritual
매운김치 The history of three-colored sweet dumplings served during cherry blossom festivals.
매운김치 Chinese court customs influenced Nara period Japan, where aristocrats adopted the practice of admiring plum blossoms, recorded in the Manyoshu anthology.
매운김치 Kyoto's Shinsen-en Garden marks the birthplace of Japan's official cherry blossom viewing tradition.
매운김치 Catch falling cherry blossom petals to learn how Hanami celebrates the fleeting beauty of life.
Cherry blossom weather: The Japanese Meteorological Agency officially tracks the 'sakura front' using a single, specific benchmark Yoshino cherry tree located at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
The traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers, especially cherry blossoms. This tradition began in the eighth-century Nara period, when Japanese aristocrats gathered to admire plum blossoms.
Which ancient Japanese poetry anthology contains significantly more poems about plum blossoms than cherry blossoms?
During which historical Japanese period was the flower-viewing custom focused on plum blossoms rather than cherry blossoms?
In which historic Kyoto garden did the first recorded imperial cherry blossom viewing party take place?
Which Japanese emperor is officially recorded as hosting the first imperial cherry blossom viewing party in 812 CE?
What vital agricultural activity was historically triggered by the blooming of wild cherry trees in rural Japan?
What do the three colors (pink, white, and green) of a traditional hanami dango represent?