Ubiquitously Sakura

3 April 2009 3:31 PM Posted by Megumi Feyen Culture No Comments

cherry_ground

If you’ve ever had the chance to watch Sakura fall from their lofty perch and flutter down to the roadside, then you know how messy these cherry blossoms can be. Once loose in the air, the petals get carried this way and that, and if you’re lucky they might even land in your hand. People of all ages play the simple game of “Catch the falling blossom”. Perhaps it is this child-like fun of collecting items out of the thin air that has caused Sakura to show up in almost every corner of Japan.

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Sakura Prints by Woodblock Artist Hirokazu Fukuda

2 April 2009 6:18 PM Posted by Pablo Kuntz Culture, Products, Tradition No Comments

sakura_woodblockprint

Usher in spring with a beautiful woodblock print by Hirokazu Fukuda (1944-2004), and save up to 35% until April 6th.

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Who’s Pretty in Pink?

24 March 2009 5:30 PM Posted by Megumi Feyen Culture No Comments

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Of the three flowers pictured, can you tell which one is a Sakura (cherry) blossom, which one is a plum, and which one is a peach flower? They all have pink petals, stamens bunched tightly together, and yes, they all blossom in the spring.

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HANA yori DANGO: The Art of Cherry Blossoms

9 March 2009 8:16 PM Posted by Megumi Feyen Food, Products 1 Comment

cherry_051

A well-known Japanese saying, “Hana yori Dango”, means pudding rather than praise. A direct translation is more along the lines of dumpling rather than blossom. It’s a perfect phrase for me since now is the time of year people spend long happy hours under the Sakura (Cherry) trees for Ohanami (Flower viewing), and I, for one, am heading off to the sweets store to check out some of the Sakura sweets.

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