Through the winter months, barren trees line Japanese roads and the seaside. They grimly lead travelers through dense forests and up mountains to old shrines for prayer. Then Spring begins to warm Japan once more, giving the empty branches a burst of vivid color. The once cold walks become warm strolls up long mountain passes as gentle breezes coax hundreds of beautiful pink petals to swirl in the new air.
All around the world, Spring announces its return with the chirping of birds and blooming of flowers. In Okinawa, it is the blooming of a unique variety of Sakura (cherry blossoms). Their signal of Spring starts with the cold winds of winter, which is comparable to an East Coast autumn or early spring in the U.S. Suddenly the greens and browns are dressed with soft pinks and bright reds. It is the triumphal yet brief return of the long departed Sakura--Japan's symbols of rebirth and the unofficial national flower. The Sakura season starts in January, as the cold winds rise from the ocean and flow through the island trees and color the air with pink petals swirling to the soft earth and thick jungle below. It spreads up into the mainland by late March and leaving pink-and-white footprints north through April and into May until the last tree blooms in northern Hokkaido. The contrast of these new colors against the vivid green of the lush jungles and tropical palm trees is astounding.
Okinawa is the first of the islands to see the Sakura bloom and thousands of people from around the world watch with envy as the beautiful flowers are showcased on national broadcasts. The light and deep pinks of the petals clinging to each Taiwanese imported tree suddenly burst into the sunlight in eager celebration of the New Year. Okinawans flock to mountain shrines to join the celebration and spend as many peaceful days under the blossoms as they can before such fleeting beauty passes.
