Stoat - Where?

Cherry Blossom

The Japanese are incredibly proud of their cherry blossoms. These are the small pink flowers that come out on lots of trees for about 10 days in late March and early April. They are very pretty and make otherwise grey roads look bright and cheerful for a few days each year. The Japanese seems to elevate this to almost semi-mythical status, with a cherry blossom report featuring daily on the news, tracking the spread slowly from the south to the north of the country.

Every student I’ve taught this week has said they have been or are going to a cherry blossom party. The concept is a simple one. Gather a few friends, a couple of blankets and lots of sake. Then proceed to the nearest available cherry blossom bough, sit under it and drink said sake until you can’t drink any more. Watching a whole park full of drunken Japanese in the evening is an experience in itself, especially when you’ve had a few yourself. There’s none of the violence you’d expect at a similar event in England, just lots of candles, smiling, red faces and the odd guitar.