SPRING FESTIVAL IN KORIYAMA CASTLE
- José Carlos Gómez Delgado
- Apr 11, 2016
- 1 min read
Spring in Japan comes with the cherry blossom. Parks, mountains, rivers ... are stained in pink for about two weeks. The cherry blossom, so short-lived, is considered a metaphor of existence, beautiful and ephemeral as the same flower. The Japanese celebrate Hanami, or contemplation of the cherry blossom, eating and drinking, sitting, in a picnic under the trees.
The custom was born in Nara in the eighth century. Peasants were offering gifts to the gods living in trees while drinking sake. Later the practice was institutionalized in Kyoto.
The whole country wears in pink. Pink coloured and sakura flavoured seasonal meals and sweets appear. Even beer cans change their color and design to integrate pink cherry blossoms.
Also, the riverbanks are adorned with rows of lanterns and the most spectacular trees are illuminated at night for the pleasure of visitors. Each city has a special place to go to see the cherry blossom.
One of the best places for the observation of cherry tree in Nara Prefecture is Koriyama Castle, where Koriyama Spring Festival is celebrated . As seen in the photos, at the time I went, the flowers had not yet bloomed one hundred percent, but still offered a nice show.
Koriyama is just five kilometers from Nara. It is a very nice city, besides the castle also has other points of interest, of which I spoke in a previous post.
I leave you with the pictures where you can see the cheerful atmosphere among the cherry trees and food stalls.
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