| Introduction | Introductory Readings | Cherry Trees and Gardens | History | Literature | Art/Music/Theatre | Philosophy | Further Guides |
"Sakura" is a national flower of Japan, and it is well-known that Japanese people celebrate the arrival of spring by having a feast under the cherry trees in full bloom ("hana-mi"). It is the most festive time of a year and cherry blossoms represent merry, cheerful feelings in the spring time. In Japanese society, it also symbolizes the transient life of human beings because the blossom season lasts too short, only a week or so.
"Sakura" can be seen in various art forms from the ancient time. Kojiki (712), the first epical literature appeared in Japan's history, proves that people already had this custom in those days. Poets in Heian Era (794-1185) recited cherry blossoms as a symbol of delicateness of the nature, and also of the human. Motoori Norinaga (1730-1801), a scholar in Edo Era (1550-1850), stated "mono no aware" (sensitiveness of beauty) is the central concept of Japanese literature and pointed out "sakura" as a key object to understand Japanese philosophy.
Cherry blossoms are also referred as an embodiment of self-sacrifice. People see the cherry tree as the deity, and each petal of cherry blossoms as a person who sacrifices himself for a certain mission or one's ideal. In World War II, "kamikaze" soldiers on fighter planes made suicidal attacks against the Allies. One of those planes was named "Ouka", which means cherry blossoms.
Using "sakura" as a keyword, this webliography explores online resources that help you learn Japanese history, culture and society. It aims at general readers interested in the country and its culture. Each item listed is structured as follows:
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Description - authority, distinctive features and other additional information of the source.
Each source is rated according to its content coverage, credibility, currency, usability, visual and other notable excellency, and indicated by images of cherry blossoms from 1 to 5 at the highest. For the benefit of users, the compiler indicated Japanese words and phrases with "italics in quotation marks"; yet did not persist when they appeared in the title of the items. All Japanese words, names and name orders followed as they appear in the sources.
Explains "hanami" custom in Japan, and what cherry blossoms mean to the Japanese. Introduces famous places for cherry blossom viewing and different kinds of flowers. With related links and a picture of cherry blossom in Japan. About.com has other articles related to cherry blossoms: Cherry Blossom, Great Sites for Cherry Blossom Viewing, Cherry Blossom Photo Gallery, Average Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Flowering Date.
Plainly answers to the above question with examples from daily life in Japan. Includes photos. See also: Hanami (cherry-blossom viewing).
The web site Kids Web Japan aims at schoolchildren aged between 10 and 14 living in other countries. Provides plain texts and online activities that help to understand Japanese culture and society. The site is also available in French, German, Spanish, and other languages. Maintained by the Japan Center for Intellectual Communications.
Short essays written by Peter Milward (1925-), a Shakespearian as well as a great sympathizer for Japanese culture. Includes Cherry Blossom, Flowers of Japan and other essays that introduce Japanese people and culture from a viewpoint of an English scholar.
The web site Guide to Japan recapitulates general information about cherry blossoms in Japan. This short article introduces cherry blossoms in Japan with a few pictures and related links. Other pictures of cherry blossoms are available at their Photo Gallery.
An original content in the personally owned web site, written by Jimmie Yorioka. Explains how familiar and popular "sakura" is among Japanese people, and its symbolism passed on from the ancient time.
An article by Kim Byong-kuk from Korea Times (Apr. 6, 1999). Inspired by the blooming cherry trees in Washington D.C., the author cites several "waka" (Japanese traditional poem). Introduces some historical facts such as the donation of cherry trees by the mayor of Tokyo in 1912 and the suicide of Yukio Mishima (writer, 1925-1970) in relation to the strong attachment of Japanese people toward the national flower.
A non-profit, educational web site created by Robert Cheetham, that seeks to provide information on a selection of Japanese-style garden art both inside and outside Japan with photo images. Provides search interface to search in categories: Gardens, Plants, Imagery, Feature Articles, Bibliographic References and more. The site is huge enough to get lost, but well-designed menu bar helps to look around rather easily. The contents are solid, informative and well-organized. Randomly selected "haiku" or other excerpts from Japanese literature is always displayed in the space under the search box, and adds a little dash of enjoyment. Great resource not only for garden lovers, but also for anyone with interests in Japanese literature.
A collaborative work by the Hiroshima City University and the National Institute of Genetics, Japan. Provides a clickable taxonomic tree and lineage data of over two hundred different kinds of Japanese cherry trees. Search function is also available, although it is hard to use without some knowledge in botany. This English version has some technical problems and sometimes does not work as the Japanese interface. Needs good documentation for non-Japanese users, but none is available.
The National Park Service (NPS) introduces the history of cherry trees in Washington and provides general information about the cherry: tree types, flower varieties, and the past blooming dates. Pictures and links to the related sites are available.
Feature article by Yoshioka Sachio in Nipponia, an online quarterly magazine which introduces modern Japan to people all over the world. This article explains the appreciation for the color red in Japanese history. The author referrs to "sakura gasane" (repetitive white and red combination for female robes) and depict how the sense of season was indicated in court ladies' costume in Heian era. With photos.
Research paper by Nick Kapur, a student at Stanford University. Explains the metaphor of cherry blossoms in association with ideals of self-sacrifice in Japan's history. Traces the historical contexts in warfare: the formation of "tokkotai" (euphemism for forces employing suicide tactics) during World War II, "kamikaze" or Divine Wind, "samurai" spirit, "gyokuzai" (scattered gem) and other ideology. A solid and comprehensive article about Japanese historical ideology.
Contains over 5,000 photographs taken from Bakumatsu to Meiji period (1800's) in Japan. Searchable by Word (full-text), by Keyword (assigned index term), by Area (a clickable map) and by call number. Searching full-text with "cherry" retrieves eighteen items including: Cherry Viewing and Public Garden Yokohama. Great resource to study pre-modern Japan. Created by Nagasaki University, Japan.
"Hanasaka Jiisan" (an old man made blossoms) is one of the folk legend in Japan. It is a story about an honest old man whose good will brought a fortune to himself. The cherry tree symbolizes the diety and the blossoms are the metaphor of reincarnation. Kidsweb Japan made this folk tale into an enjoyable online text with pictures and the sound recording. The background music is also a song entitled "Hanasaka Jiisan".
The ninth poem in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu established from the seventh through the thirteenth century, which is an anthology of 100 poems by 100 different poets. The poems are all in "waka" style, five-line of 31 syllables, arranged as 5, 7, 5, 7, 7. "Waka" were typically recited by court poetry. The above poem is a lament of one of those poets, Ono no Komachi (birth/death date unknown). Here "sakura" represents the youth fading away as the time goes by. The site is a part of Japanese Text Initiative project by the University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center and the University of Pittsburgh East Asian Library.
Short article by Nakamura Yutaka in Nipponia. Introduces Sugita Hisajo (1890-1946) and her "haiku" about "hanagoromo", a colorful "kimono" that Japanese women wear at the cherry viewing party. "Haiku" is a Japanese poetic form originated from older "waka", consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each. It started early in the Tokugawa period (1603-1867) and became popular thereafter. The form was restricted in subject matter to an objective description of nature suggestive of one of the seasons, evoking an emotional response.
Searchable database offers an archive of 2,300 "haiku" of Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), one of the most prolific "haiku" masters. There are seventy "haiku" of Issa that contains the word "cherry". Search engine is well-designed with options for Japanese text, colors for seasons; sortable by year and season; comments (English) are available for some "haiku". Search tips are helpful and comprehensive. Japanese interface is also available. Created by David G. Lanoue, a professor of English at at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans.
Introduces a traditional song entitled "Sakura" with lyrics, music notes and sound recordings. One of many contents in the web site The National Symphony Orchestra's Virtual Tour of Asia. Sponsored by ArtsEdge and John F. Kennedy Center for the Persorming Arts.
Searchable image database including about 2,000 of over 5,000 works owned by the Kyoto National Museum, Japan. Contains drawings and costumes with accents of cherry blossoms, and other artistic works such as calligraphy, sculptures and utensils.
Selected text (Japanese) with an extensive guide (English) of "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees). This play takes its subject from the young general in Kamakura era, Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89). Yoshitsune's brave character was passed on for generations, then first written as a "joruri" (puppet) play in 1747. So popular that it was adapted into "kabuki" and other kinds of performing art. Prepared by Japanese Text Initiative.
Full text of the Nobel Lecture by Kawabata Yasunari (1899-1972), the Nobel winner for Literature in 1968. Kawabata is one of the most celebrated Japanese novelists, and his novel Yukiguni (Snow Country, 1948) won a high reputation both in Japan and worldwide. In this famous lecture, he depicts cherry blossoms and other natural phenomena that Japanese people have appreciated in history, and cites "waka" of Saigyo (1118-1190) as a typical example of the sensitive attitudes toward the natural beauty. Kawabata's philosophy that is evidently influenced by "Zen" Buddhism pertains to the nationalistic ideal. It is also suggestive that Kawabata killed himself soon after he received the prize, as if he proved the "samurai" tradition. The recent Japanese Nobel winner for Literature, Kenzaburo Oe (1935-), criticized Kawabata's lecture in his own Nobel lecture, Japan, the Ambiguous, and Myself (1994). Oe presents more personalized ethics and viewpoints, through which he tries to internalize the experiences of post-war Japan.
The Nobel e-Museum provides the lectures and biographies of the Nobel winners, and is an excellent resource to explore the intellectual thoughts of the world.
The key note lecture for the special exhibition Setsugekka at MOA Museum of Art by Isamu Kurita, the president of the Japanese Culture Institute, Japan. "Setsugekka" means "snow, the moon and flowers": Kurita takes examples of these three symbols from legends, poems, narratives and performing art and interprets how the Japanese traditionally looked upon nature. According to his interpretation, flowers are the symbol of "unadulterated state", which also indicates unending cycle of life. "Sakura" is the most popular object among those flowers.
"Bushido" is the code of conduct of "samurai" warriors established in nineteenth century Japan, which contributed to the rise of Japanese nationalism then to self-sacrifice ideology of wartime civilian morale up to 1945. This online text is the full text of Bushido, the Soul of Japan (1899) written by Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933), a Christian scholar who contributed to internationalization of early modern Japan. The text was originally written in English and published in the United States. It introduces the ethics and stoicism of "bushido" and cherry blossoms as an emblem.
This online text is a part of web project Japan and Japanese that contains the full text of important works to understand Japan and the Japanese.
Online text archive of research papers written by American high school students residing in Japan. Suicide by Chica Watanabe (1998) and Yamato Damashii by Lala Kubo (1997) are both dealing with Japanese nationalism, and refers to "sakura" as its symbol.
From Britannica.com. Contents are massive enough to explore myriads of aspects in Japanese history and culture. A great reference tool to consult unknown words and concepts.
A gateway site linking to Japan-related web sites. Sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Includes Kids Web Japan and Nipponia introduced in this webliography. A good starting point to navigate online resources about Japan.
Well-organized web directory containing 3735 links in 160 categories (as of April 25, 2001). Updates daily. Concentrates on helpful online/offline resources related to Japan.
The table of contents page for Japan in the web site Country Study by Library of Congress. Contents encompass broad subjects about the country, and is well-organized and easy to browse. Search interface is very simple, and search engine works fast. Good for those who seek solid but succinct information.