Hanami Party and Springtime in Tarui

In the springtime in Japan, many people have what’s called a “Hanami Party.”  Basically, you have a picnic under some Sakura (Cherry Blossom trees) and you look at the beautiful scenery, eat good food, and enjoy great company.  I was fortunate enough to experience this twice. 

First, a friend of mine asked me to join her and her two sons after work one day.  I rode my bike as fast as I could to meet her.  We sat by the riverside and enjoyed sweets and tea, and all around us the Cherry Blossom trees were in full bloom.  Above us, the Carp Streamers blew in the wind. 

Apparently, the carp streamers are setup for “Boy’s Day,” which is on May 3^rd.  In Tarui, they setup the Carp Streamers a month early for everyone to enjoy.  I’ve heard that every family that has a son in Tarui has a Carp Streamer blowing in the wind above the river.  It’s a beautiful sight that I will never forget.  It’s always busy around the river at this time, so it’s difficult to get a photo without getting the parked cars into the picture, but it is still a beautiful sight to see.

Here are the photos from that day:

In the above picture, this lady was walking a cat and a dog.

The second Hanami Party I went to was in the town next to Tarui called Sekihagara.  This town is very small but very famous.  There was a very famous battle many years ago that took place in Sekigahara.  My friend, who is also an ALT, lives in this town.  He organized a Hanami Party and he found an excellent spot for it.  It wasn’t busy and there were interesting statues in this little park.  It was a great afternoon.

After this Hanami Party, I walked around my town and checked out the Cherry Blossoms.  There were many families enjoying the Sakura and having their own Hanami parties.  It’s a good thing, too, because three days later a great wind blew through Tarui and then most of the Cherry Blossoms blew away.  Normally, Sakura is supposed to last up to two weeks.  But I’ve heard that the length of the Cherry Blossom season all depends on the weather; if it is rainy or windy, the season could be shorter.  And that was the case for Tarui.  Unfortunately, the Sakura lasted exactly one week, not two.  But I did manage to get some beautiful photos and enjoy some nice walks while the blossoms were in full bloom.  Here are some random photos I took from my various walks and bike-rides around Tarui:

And finally, here are some pictures of what I call “Springtime in Tarui.”  I was going to do a different post for this, but somehow it seems only fitting to end this Sakura/Hanami Party post with some pictures of what I have seen during the springtime in my own town.