Japan – cherry blossoms on Hokkaido

At this time of year, a trip to Hokkaido is the only way to possibly see sakura or cherry blossoms. They are just starting to come into bloom and we are likely to miss them at their peak. Nevertheless, those early bloomers gave us some pleasure today in Sapporo.

This word is mono no aware (pronounced mono no ah-wah-reh) and its literal translation is “the pathos of things”.

More fully, it relates to the feeling of gentle wistfulness at the brief and transient nature of beautiful things and an awareness of the sadness of existence.

Hi ka raku you is another beautiful word meaning “blossoms fall and leaves scatter – the impermanence of worldly things”

 

 

today’s haiku

the coming of spring

beautiful, fragile, short

the blossom’s lesson

 

• cherry blossom
• haiku
• Hokkaido
• Japan
• mono no aware
• photography
• sakura
• sketching