Comments on J-List side blog: The Season of the Sakura has come to Japan

...and Seattle too! There have been at least a cou...

2008-04-05T01:35:00.000+09:00

...and Seattle too! There have been at least a couple occasions in which Seattle was gifted with seedlings and/or trees for various reasons. In one instance citizens of Seattle responded with aid to earthquake victims in Tokyo (1923, I believe)and in return received a (beautiful!) stone lantern. To commemorate that gift the Seattle Japanese Community donated 3,500 cherry trees to Seattle. Also, former Japanese PM Takeo Miki gifted Seattle with 1,000 cherry trees, and that was the beginning of the Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival! It's so lovely to walk around this city and see so many beautiful cherry trees...

Bummer about no open liquor. Japan is a lot less s...

2008-04-02T16:04:00.000+09:00

Bummer about no open liquor. Japan is a lot less stressed about alcohol (and sex, and a few other things). Maybe that's why they live so long...

...or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY!

Branch Brook Par...

2008-04-02T13:12:00.000+09:00

...or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY!

Branch Brook Park is ... located in the North Ward of Newark. The park is noted for its 2,700 cherry trees, collectively called Cherryblossomland, as well as its spectacular Cherry Blossom Festival each April. (from Wikipedia)

that's true about open containers. however, in pl...

2008-04-02T09:45:00.000+09:00

that's true about open containers. however, in places like chicago, when summer finally arrives and the festivals begin, neighborhoods pull together to have legal areas of drinking. not that i was implying this is the most important part. i'm contented to sit with my friends/family and enjoy the brevity of life.

In the places in the States, you can see the cherr...

2008-04-02T03:23:00.000+09:00

In the places in the States, you can see the cherry blossoms, but usually can't get the spread the tarp and have a party experience, with public drinking being frowned on and all.

Well, there are "ten people, ten colors" as they s...

2008-04-01T12:28:00.000+09:00

Well, there are "ten people, ten colors" as they say in Japan, i.e. different strokes for different folks, and my wife is one of those "you know, Europe is really the best place in the world" Japanese people, with the U.S. coming in a close second. Just as I wouldn't get so excited over something I could do every day in the U.S. because it's "normal" she gets less excited about "normal" Japanese stuff than me. ^_^ Plus she hates crowds with a passion, which is what you get a hanami.

that surprises me. everyone around me (fukushima-...

2008-04-01T10:35:00.000+09:00

that surprises me. everyone around me (fukushima-ken) seems to be freaking out about the blossoms and claim it is something i could never understand. i figured all japanese coveted this event. TV showed clips of D.C. and it seems other sakura hotspots could learn how to have a proper hanami. more picnics and drunken merriment, please. :)

I hope I can convince my wife to go this year. She...

2008-03-31T23:06:00.000+09:00

I hope I can convince my wife to go this year. She's usually so nonchalant about stuff in Japan, being Japanese herself.