By Trilokya Jena
For the Japanese, blooming of the cherry blossom trees symbolises human life, transience and nobleness. Known as Sakura in Japanese, it holds a special place not just for beauty, but because it’s deeply intertwined with the country’s history, culture, and daily lives of its people. As mark of hope, new beginnings, and even love, it symbolises both life and death, beauty and violence with every sense of vitality and vibrancy.
Cherry blossoms are not just flowers, they are Japanese cultural symbol. The blossoming highlights the flower’s deep-rooted significance in Japanese life, emphasizing its representation of fleeting beauty, renewal, and the communal tradition of “hanami” (flower viewing), all while acknowledging its historical connection with the samurai warrior code. This delicate bloom embodies both the ephemeral nature of life and the powerful spirit of the Japanese people.
Cherry blossoms, known in Japan as sakura, are well known around the world for their radiant, delicate and transient beauty. It bears strong ties to Japan’s history, culture and identity. Originally used to divine the year’s harvest, sakura came to embody wabi-sabi philosophy and Shinto ideals of impermanence, hope and renewal and are now one of Japan’s most iconic natural symbols.
Millions from all over the world throng Japan every year to witness the bloom. Due to the tricky nature of the blooming cycle, made increasingly trickier with climate change, tourists must time their visits meticulously and also have to depend on luck for perfect viewing.
The flowers remain on trees for a very short period as they fall off the moment achieving full bloom. As the buds tend to bloom all at once and wither quickly, they became a symbol of something that’s evanescent and fleeting. As they fall attending prime, the blossoms are said to be the most beautiful in this final stage as the white and pink petals gently float to the ground, the significance of which is explained later.
The sakura blooms for only 7 to 10 days usually from March end to beginning of April. Viewing cherry blossoms is a time of contemplation and reflection on the passage of life. It is connected not just to death, but to life, love, and the celebration of the living spirit. Annual festivals are held and millions of Japanese come together to spend time with their loved ones gathering in large parks under fully flowered trees.
These flowers hold many meanings, the first being that life is fleeting. They are beautiful to see in their prime, but that moment is fleeting as they fall off precisely at that prime. The underlying meaning associated here is that it’s essential to end one’s existence at one’s most resplendent rather than dying crumpled with age. In that sense it symbolises both life and death, beauty and violence, quintessentially similar to the credo of the other historical symbol of Japan, the Samurai.
Deeply ingrained in the psyche of the Japanese people, the Samurais lived under the strict conduct of bushido, “the way of the warrior”. This unique philosophy valued honour, extreme bravery and selflessness, as well as duty to the warrior’s master dedicated to giving up one’s life and embracing death for mission assigned. The fundamental belief associated here is life is better ended at its prime for causes ordained rather than dying of old age, too similar to the nature of cherry blossom.
The union of samurai culture and the cherry blossom serves as a vivid representation of the delicate balance between strength and grace. The origin and history of samurai culture unveil tales of warriors, loyalty, and noble traditions passed down through generations. These fierce warriors emerged during the Heian period (794-1185) in Japan, devoting their lives to honor and duty. From the arts of swordsmanship to poetry and tea ceremonies, samurai culture embraced a holistic approach to life. Their duty was to exemplify and preserve these virtues and to be fearless warriors even in the face of death. Fallen cherry blossoms or petals symbolized the end of the samurai’s short lives.
The samurai later became the ruling military class during the Edo Period. Armed with their trademark swords, they lived by the bushido code, emphasizing loyalty and self-discipline. Their legend was firmly established when they succeeded repelling the Mongol invasion of Japan, not once but twice.
Once established during this Heian period campaigns, they served to preserve order in society being hired by the rich eventually becoming integral part of power structure upon Minamoto Yoritomo’s victory in 1192 that led to a military government headed by a shogun extending samurai rule over Japan for nearly 700 years.
The most significant part of that history came in 1600 when the Tokugawa Shogunate established over two centuries of Rule of Edu( modern day Tokyo) Period to last till 1668 during which Japan enjoyed prolonged era of peace and prosperity. During this most definitive era of Japanese history, education, art and economy made phenomenal progress.
However, it came at a cost as the regime maintained the severest discipline inflicting strict punishments on people through the samurais. It outlawed Christianity in 1638 and in 1639, imposed rules preventing any contact with outsiders forbidding Japanese to go overseas and building any outgoing vessel.
The only contact Japan had during this period was with the Dutch in a very limited extent. But that didn’t stop them from acquiring new scientific and political knowledge which allowed them to make tremendous economic and cultural progress.
Such a prosperous Japan in the era of rampant colonisation eventually attracted the western powers’ attention. Americans through Commodore Perry broke open Japanese isolation and forced them to engage in trade and commerce with US, England and Russia. That forced the end of Japan’s feudal era in 1868 leading to the end of the samurai class and its influence on Japanese society and culture.
But the samurais remained as powerful cultural symbols of Japanese culture and history, something that was to be evoked in a big way to exact revenge against the West culminating in the Second World War. The Japanese soldier had to relive the philosophical glory of the Samurai and their belief in living the glorious life of the cherry blossom to shine and fall at their prime. The blossoms served as the ultimate military symbol in Japanese war effort.
The unique connection between samurai blades and sakura petals reflects Japanese culture, blending the strength and discipline of the samurai with the delicate beauty and momentary prime life of cherry blossoms. This connection reflects values of honour, loyalty, and accepting life’s short moments. Samurai blades symbolize strength and grace, crafted with meticulous precision as if to reflect the elegance of cherry blossoms.
Beyond the military, the association between samurai and cherry blossoms carries historical and spiritual significance, representing a connection between nature and human existence in Japanese society. The shared grace and purity are a reminder to treasure each moment, just like the spirit of bushido embraced by the samurai. The connection between samurai blades and sakura petals highlights the beauty and wisdom in Japanese tradition.
In Japan, the cherry blossoms stand even closer to the center of culture and national feelings. Indeed, the cherry blossoms’ brief blooming plays a central role in traditional Japanese art, dance, and theater. In terms of culinary traditions, pickled sakura flowers are traditionally used to perfume manju, a type of steamed, bean-filled bun or monaka, a form of sweet Japanese confectionery. Today one will often see cherry blossoms as a significant symbol in Japanese culture, including in paintings, film, poetry, and literature.
Cherry Blossoms is Japan.
( Trilokya Jena, the former Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax is currently on Japan tour)
