Post written by Krista Laux, a United Planet volunteer.

The cherry tree (Sakura) is a distinctive part of the Japanese landscape. The trees, which only bloom for two weeks each year, display pale pink flowers that fall to the ground like snow. They line the streets on back roads in urban areas, and can be seen bunched together in parks. In the Tokyo area, the cherry trees blossom at the end of March, and the flowers fall off the tree by mid-April. Hanami, or flower viewing festivals, have been around for centuries, and are held all over Japan at this time. At Hanami festivals, people gather together and enjoy a sort of picnic under the blooming trees, with food, drink and singing. It is a special time for the Japanese people, and a treat for tourists to see.

When I planned my volunteer trip to Japan with United Planet, I chose the month of April because I knew the weather would be nicer than in the rainy season of summer. I had heard of the cherry trees, but I had no idea that I would be lucky enough to see them in their beautiful, fully bloomed state. But three days after my arrival, I had my first Japanese lesson. And instead of learning the language, I got to see this bit of Japanese culture up close.

We drove to a nearby park and set up a picnic blanket in the shade of the trees. The park was full of people, some with families and some with pets, eating and playing games at the dozens of vendors lining the walkway. Another United Planet volunteer, Osheyho, and I were treated like to delicious Japanese food and tea that was brought by the rest of the group. We ate sushi, and enjoyed rice cookies and desserts. We spent most of the time asking questions about Japanese life and customs, and answering the dozens of questions about ours. I felt amazed that all of the things I take for granted in my everyday life could be so interesting to someone else. It was rewarding to share my experiences.

Occasionally, the petals of the cherry blossom would fall off the tree with the wind and shower down on us. We would stop talking then, and watch the beauty of the petals fall to the ground. After we ate, Osheyho and I listened to our group sing songs about springtime. I had never experienced something like that before: the singing was so appropriate for the occasion. When it came time to leave, I made sure to get a picture of the group, and pictures of the cherry trees, just in case I am never able to witness it again.

I can’t adequately describe how I felt being there. I was homesick of course, but I felt so comfortable during my visit, and welcome. This festival was one of many times during my stay that I felt like a guest of honor. The kindness of every person I met will never be forgotten. I am so glad that I took on the opportunity to volunteer in Japan, and I’m crossing my fingers that my next quest will be as rich and rewarding as this one was.

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Explore posts in the same categories: Asia, Festival, Foreign Culture, international volunteering, Local festival, travel, United Planet, Volunteer Story
Tags: cherry tree, cherry trees blossom, Hanami, Japan, Japanese culture, Sakura, Tokyo, volunteer trip

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 7th, 2009 at 2:39 pm and is filed under Asia, Festival, Foreign Culture, international volunteering, Local festival, travel, United Planet, Volunteer Story. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

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