Japan’s cherry blossom season – or hanami time – is one of the world’s great natural spectacles. Partly, this is because the blooms are so beautiful, and because the flowers appear well before the foliage.
The pinkish-white blossom is perfect, yet it is transient and therefore carries a wistfulness for which the Japanese have a special term, ‘mono no aware’. The trees are regarded almost reverentially and for the foreign visitor, hanami is an opportunity to affectionately observe the social etiquette of parties and work-outings that take place under the trees. Once you start looking, the cherry blossom symbol is everywhere – on company logos, clothing, porcelain and inevitably, tattoos.
The world is full of natural wonders of all kinds, and people travel near and far to see them. This post will walk you through the most beautiful natural phenomena in the world that you need to see!
