Cherry blossoms in Japan bloom at the beginning of April, and symbolize not only the coming of spring but the beginning of all things new. It’s a time for the new school year to start, kids to go off to college, new fiscal years to begin, and new employees to be hired. People feel refreshed, invigorated, and full of energy.
It’s also a time to stock up on booze and get drunk in public parks.
Hanami has been a Japanese tradition for a long time, as people bring blankets, food, and yes, plenty of alcohol out to wherever the cherry blossoms are and enjoy the spring weather. I took this photo in Toyama City’s Kansui park on a weekday evening when only a few people were out, though I can assure you that on weekends Toyama City’s biggest park and every other park around were swamped.
Kansui Park in Toyama City is also home to this Starbucks, which won the 2008 award for Most Beautiful Starbucks in the World. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pretty nice Starbucks, but this palatial one in Italy deserves the prize for sure.
For Series Six I thought I’d share some pictures from my spring trip to Kanazawa while my friends were visiting, so here’s a few favorites. You can also start from the beginning here.
Kanazawa’s the biggest city in Japan’s Hokuriku region, the central area on the Sea of Japan where I live. It’s also a cultural center, famous for its gold production, and was one of the few Japanese cities not bombed during World War II, which means there are plenty of old temples and shrines to check out. I usually bring friends here to visit, and during the spring the city is full of beautiful views like this one.
A side view inside Kanazawa Castle Park, another big place for cherry blossom viewing.
Cherry blossoms are everywhere.
Bronze statue erected 140 years ago during Japan’s Meiji era to commemorate those killed in the revolution. The statue depicts Japanese Prince Yamato Takeru, one of the legendary early emperors whose sword-wielding exploits also evoke Arthurian legend.
Zen garden in Kanazawa. Monks rake the rocks into these distinctive patterns, creating places for restful contemplation.
In In Japan, Tommy Lee Jones is still boss. The Boss coffee company was using his picture on their vending machines ten years ago when I first lived in Japan, and after a brief lull, he’s back in action.
Also, Japanese vending machines have plastic replicas of all the drinks lined up in front so you can see how big they all are—how cool is that??
Kanazawa green tea with ACTUAL FLAKES OF GOLD. This is more of a gimmick than anything else since the city’s traditionally famous for gold production, but it was still fun to find after our drinks came.
Old hallway with Japanese-style doors and windows.
This was cool for sure—one of the bigger Kanazawa parks was holding an outdoor festival when we stopped by, and some artists had made patterns out of bottle caps and were encouraging bystanders to make their own as well. I like this kind of public art a lot, even if it’s temporary, and using normal household items you wouldn’t think to turn into art is a nice touch too.
That’s one of the other things I really like about Japan: its festivals and outdoor gatherings are always well put-together and full of fun stuff to see, do, buy, and eat, and you can tell that a lot of thought went into them. This in turn, makes more people want to go to them, creating a positive cycle. Public activities and public art matter, and it’s good to see people bringing cool ideas like this to the table.
There’s always more adventures to be had. Check out my Instagram, or follow me elsewhere…