It’s Hanami season again. Hanami is the traditional viewing of cherry blossoms in Japan. The season is just about starting out now with the earliest bloom scheduled for about March 14th in Fukuoka and the latest cherry blossom blooming scheduled for Sapporo and above, starting in the first few days of May. If you don’t…
OK, OK,so the title of the post is not exactly comic genious… but that’s not why you’re here anyway. The news was just released that the E.T. ride at Universal Studios Japan will be discontinued on May 10th. USJ explained the move saying that there are a growing number of kids who are unfamiliar with…
Shumbun no Hi is the Japanese national holiday that takes place on either March 20th or March 21st or so every year in Japan. It is most commonly known in English as Vernal Equinox although I’ve also heard it referred to as Spring Day. Post offices and other such official services will be closed. Schools…
The Japan Weather Association has updated its forecast for cherry blossom viewing dates with a nice new map and more detailed information. Even if you don’t know the kanji or Chinese characters for the place you’ll be, check out the convenient curvy lines that show the divisions. The time is near, so if you are…
If you are going to be in Japan on March 21 and March 22, you will have the chance to not only enjoy the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Viewing Season in Japan, but also to see the “Bajo Yumikurabe”, also known as “Yabusame” when done in a religious context. That is, you will get…
Note if you are looking for 2010’s, it is here: Sakura Cherry Blossom 2010 Blooming Calendar The Japan Weather Association has finally released its forecast for the blooming of this year’s cherry blossoms, called sakura in Japanese. Also, here is a page with a detailed cherry blossom forecast in English based on the Japan Weather…