Sakura (桜) literally means cherry tree and is one of the main symbols of Japanese culture. In this article, we will delve into curiosities, meanings, and symbolism of cherry trees in Japan. We will also discuss types, fruits, flowers, and names related to cherry trees.
Cherry tree is the name given to several species of fruit-bearing, decorative, or hardwood trees. The cherry trees of Japan are usually the somei-yoshino, prunus yedoensis, and yamazakura. There are over 600 types of Sakura spread throughout Japan, with pink, white, yellowish flowers and different shapes. Japanese cherries are often called sakuranbo (桜んぼ).
I used to think that cherry trees had absolutely nothing to do with the cherries we consume, but they are indeed from the same family. In Brazil, we usually differentiate cherry trees with cherry trees that bear the fruit. The decorative cherry trees in Japan tend to develop small types of fruits, but they are usually not edible and are not harvested. About 40% of the cherries consumed in Japan are imported.
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Japanese cherry trees and spring
Cherry trees in Japan usually gain total prominence during spring in Hanami (flower festival) where people often camp, have picnics, and visit parks where the Sakuras and other flowers tend to bloom. For the Japanese, the beginning of the year happens in spring. In fact, the academic and financial year starts on April first.
In 1992, the Sakura association in Japan (日本さくらの会 – Nihon Sakura no Kai) created the famous “Sakura Day” which marks exactly the beginning of flowering on March 27. During the beginning of spring, all of Japan follows the blooming of Sakura through calendars and TV programs that indicate the exact date for each region.
Stages of sakura blooming
The entire blooming process of cherry trees and other flowers usually lasts a maximum of 10 days. During these days, cherry trees go through several stages:
Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>
| Portuguese | Japanese | Romaji |
| Button | つぼみ | tsubomi |
| Blooming of buds | 咲き始め(る) | sakihajime(ru) |
| 50% bloomed | 5分咲き | gobuzaki |
| 70% bloomed | 7分咲き | shichibuzaki |
| 100% – Reaches full bloom | 満開 | mankai |
| Petals begin to fall | 散り始め | chirihajime |
| Green leaves after blooming | 葉桜 | hazakura |
| Petal rain | 桜吹雪 | Sakurafubuki |
Different types of cherry trees in Japan
Somei Yoshino (染井吉野) is the most popular variety of sakura in Japan. It has five petals and is usually white with a pink hue. The leaves only appear after the cherry tree finishes blooming, fully highlighting the flowers. It was widely cultivated during the Edo Period in Tokyo, becoming the most numerous in Japan.
Yamazakura (山桜) literally means mountain cherry tree. This type of cherry tree is common and usually grows in the wild, its flowers are slightly pink and small. The leaves usually develop along with the blooming.
Kawazu-zakura (河津桜) is a modern variety that tends to bloom earlier and has a much longer blooming period than other species. Even in February, it is possible to find these trees with pink flowers. It got its name because it was originally cultivated in the city of Kawazu in Izu.
Shidarezakura (枝垂れ桜) is a weeping variety, with drooping branches and long-lived, where the colors vary from pink to white. There is another variation with more than 5 petals called Yaeshidarezakura (八重枝垂桜).
Kanhizakura (寒緋桜) is a bell-shaped sakura with a darker pink color, native to Okinawa and Taiwan, blooming in January and February. Kanzakura (寒桜) is another type of cherry tree that blooms earlier than usual, standing out in small parks because of this early blooming.
Cherry trees with many petals that take time to bloom
Ichiyo is a type of sakura that has 20 light pink petals with fresh green leaves. Ukon has between 10 to 20 petals with a yellow color. Kazan has about 30 to 50 petals with a pink hue and coppery brown leaves. These three cherry trees tend to bloom later than the others.
Kikuzakura (Chrysanthemum Cherry) can have up to 100 petals and is white with shades of pink. Shogetsu has about 30 petals with white flowers and blooms with green leaves. Fugenzo has about 30 to 40 petals with white flowers that turn pink as they open. These three cherry trees also tend to bloom later than the others.
Did you know that there is a cherry tree that blooms in autumn? Jugatsuzakura (十月桜) literally means October sakura, a variety that blooms in autumn and winter with small and sparse flowers that combine the colors of autumn with snow.
Curiosities involving Sakura in Japan
Samurais were often associated with cherry trees because their blooming is short, representing the short life of many samurais on the battlefields. Sakura was also a symbol of love, where women adorned their hair with branches of cherry trees to show they were looking for a partner.
A cherry blossom usually has 5 petals, but there are types of Japanese cherry trees that have 10, 20, and even 100 petals. These flowers are called yaezakura (八重桜). Cherry trees can be named according to the number of petals as: 一重 hitoe (0-5) | 半八重 hanyae (5-10) | 八重 yae (10+).
There is a Sakura that is over 2000 years old called Jindai Zakura (神代桜) with more than 10 meters in height and 13 in circumference at the root. Legends say it was planted by Emperor Takeru no Mikoto.
There are various products made from cherry blossoms, even soft drinks and beverages are often launched during spring in prominent places like McDonald’s. Sweets like Wagashi, edible flowers, and various other dishes. The flower is represented in all types of consumer goods in Japan, including kimonos, stationery, and dishware. Furniture has also been made from the tree’s wood since the 16th century.
The symbolism of Sakura in Japan
In Japan, cherry trees symbolize clouds due to their natural mass blooming, and also serve as a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life associated with Buddhism. The cherry blossom signifies feminine beauty and symbolizes love, happiness, renewal, and hope. The transience of the flowers, their extreme beauty, and rapid death have often been associated with mortality.
During World War II, cherry trees were used to motivate the Japanese people, ignite nationalism, and also militarism. They were used in propaganda to inspire the “Japanese spirit,” mainly because of their relation to the Samurais. In Imperial Japan, cherry trees were planted as a “claim of occupied territory as Japanese space.”
The fruit of the cherry tree, the cherry, is considered the greatest symbol of sensuality, eroticism, and sexuality, mainly because of its intense red color. Cherry trees are also a prevalent symbol in Irezumi, the traditional art of Japanese tattoos. Sakura is even considered a color in Japan, a variation of white and pink.
Japanese names related to Sakura
The name Sakura is one of the most popular among girls in Japan (5th place). We know that Japanese names are often written with ideograms that have various meanings, so we will finish by sharing a list of Japanese names that usually have ideograms related to cherry trees in Japan.
桜 – The ideogram of Sakura can refer to the flower, fruit, or cherry tree. Different names can be written using just this ideogram, such as: Sakura, Saku, Ou, Sakurasaki, Sara, and Chieri. All these names are feminine!
The name Sakura can be written with more than one ideogram such as: [幸久来]; [紅桜桃]; [佐鞍] (family, surname); [佐久羅] and [佐久良]. All these names are usually feminine, we recommend looking up the meaning of each ideogram at jisho.org
Tsubomi refers to the bud of the cherry tree and can be written in different ways, the most common is 花咲実 which has the ideograms for flower, bloom, and truth;
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| 桜々 | Sasa, Sakura (female) |
| 桜々子, 桜子, 櫻子 | Sakurako (female) |
| 桜一郎 | Ouichirou (male) |
| 桜下 | Sakurashita (female) |
| 桜与美 | Sayomi (female) |
| 桜久夜 | Sakuya (female) |
| 桜之宮 | Sakuranomiya (family or surname) |
| 桜乙 | Oto |
| 桜乙愛 | Ruina |
| 桜也果 | Sayaka |
| 桜井 | Sakurai (family, surname) |
Videos related to Sakura and Hanami
I hope you enjoyed this article, it took a lot of work to research all this content. I want to give credit to the site Japan Guide which was a great help in writing the article. If you liked it, don’t forget to share and comment.
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