Cherry blossom

桜 sakura

Cherry blossom

The national flower; its short, glorious bloom stands for spring, new beginnings and the beauty of things that pass.

Heian period court (9th century), Kyoto

In the Nara period the court admired plum, following Chinese taste; during the Heian period cherry replaced it, and Emperor Saga's cherry-viewing banquets (the Nihon Kōki records a bloom observation in 812) are usually cited as the start of hanami. Cherry had earlier marked the rice-planting season. In the Edo period hanami spread to samurai and commoners, helped by shōgun Tokugawa Yoshimune planting public cherry groves; over 200 cultivars were recorded.

Cherry is strictly a spring motif in kimono, usually worn just before the blossoms open; cherry petals on water or with other flowers extend its use.

Technique catalog · draft for review

Every way to wrap, carry and wear a furoshiki.

The furoshiki.com archive, sliced into annotated steps with plain directions, plus techniques found in research.