We are dreaming of Sakura (Cherry blossoms)
In Japan one of the most important jobs for weather forecasters is to give accurate forecast of the day when Sakura will bloom.
Sakura is obviously a symbol of Japan and everyone is waiting for its blooming. People have various reasons to love this flower. Some relate this flower to their kid's school entrance cerebration (Japanese school year starts in April) while some simply want to have a party under Sakura (we Japanese call this party Hanami, which literary means flower viewing but actually associated with eating and drinking.)
After long severe winter season Sakura blossoms tell us winter is completely over and spring has come and make us feel very happy even if we don't drink. Just simply observe them and your mind will be filled with joy of spring. Here are some of the pictures I took last year.
By the way, because so many people are dreaming of Sakura in this season, weather forecasters tell us when Sakura will start blooming. In order to enable us to schedule for Hanami they try to give us as accurate information as possible and update frequently. According to them this year Sakura will start blooming on March 23 and get in full bloom after one week (around March 30). I will update from time to time for your better planning.
