花見 (Hanami)

Hanami is cherry blossom viewing, a seasonal custom rather than a fixed-date festival. People follow the sakura forecast each spring, because the bloom moves northward across Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka often peak from late March to early April, while Hokkaido is usually later, from late April into early May. Families, classmates, and coworkers gather under cherry trees in parks such as Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, Maruyama Park in Kyoto, and Osaka Castle Park. The focus is not a stage program or parade, but spending time outdoors during the short period of full bloom, which may last only about a week. Many people also go out again after dark for illuminated yozakura, or night cherry-blossom viewing.

On the day itself, groups often arrive early to reserve a spot with a picnic sheet, commonly a blue tarp, especially in busy city parks. They eat bento, onigiri, karaage, yakitori, and spring sweets such as hanami dango and sakura mochi, often with beer or sake. Convenience stores and department-store food halls sell seasonal hanami items during the bloom. People take photos, chat, and make simple comments such as 桜が満開ですね or きれいですね. Parks can become very crowded, so local rules matter: some ban alcohol, barbecues, or late-night stays, and visitors are expected to carry out their trash. A well-known phrase for the season is 花より団子, joking that people may enjoy the food as much as the flowers.

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.