In spring, all of us would love to travel to places known for celebrating the cherry blossom festival. Hanami is a Japanese tradition of enjoying the transient beauty of the cherry trees flowering as a way to celebrate life and beauty. This beautiful tradition has extended to other countries over time, and it’s Brooklyn that tops our list as the best place to enjoy the Cherry Blossom festival this spring.
The spring event takes places in the 21-hectare Brooklyn Botanic Garden (990 Washington Ave, Brooklyn) that’s famous for its 300+ cherry trees. Starting March 25th, thousands of visitors from all over the world will visit the park to witness the magnificent sight of the cherry trees blossoming that makes Brooklyn one of the best places in the world to enjoy Hanami outside of Japan.
Sakura is the Japanese name for the cherry blossom that has its origin in the Himalayas and China but gained special importance in Japan where there are up to 40 different varieties of cherry trees. Cherry trees first came to the United States hundreds of years ago as a gift from the mayor of Tokyo at the time, Yukio Ozaki, to honour the excellent friendship between the two countries.
One of the best places to experience your own Hanami in the Big Apple is the Cherry Esplanade that is home to more than 200 cherry trees, and the Hill-and-Pond Garden, a true Japanese wonder just a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. The park also houses a small lake with fish, a waterfall, manmade hills, a magnificent Torii (a traditional Japanese arch usually found at the entrance to shrines), and even a Shinto shrine, along with more than 20 varieties of cherry trees that will be at their picturesque peak during these days.
Brooklyn is covered in a blanket of flowers in springtime. The Cherry Blossom in New York with its amazing fairytale landscapes is a feast for the eyes of NewYorkers and tourists. Depending on weather conditions, each year, between the end of March and the beginning of May, thousands of people travel to New York to enjoy the natural wonder of these beautiful trees with their magical shades of pink and white.
It should be noted that most cherry trees take a week to reach full bloom and when they begin to flower, they then last about another week in all their splendour and glory.
Brooklyn is an unbeatable location due to its many parks and green areas, where thousands of trees turn pink in spring. People eagerly await this special time of year to enjoy picnics, parties, and family get-togethers under the flowering branches and admire these wonderful trees.
This year, the Cherry Blossom or The Sakura Matsuri Festival celebrates its 37th edition from Saturday 28th to Sunday 29th of April. It’s the Japanese version of welcoming spring and this year offers more than 60 events and performances celebrating Japanese culture and tradition with Japanese dances, martial arts, stand up comedy, classes on tea rituals, and a Japanese flea market. Manga fans will have the chance to meet the authors and illustrators, Rumi Hara, Hed Henry, and Misako Rocks. And of course, we can’t forget one of the liveliest and most anticipated events of the festival, the Cosplay Fashion Show, which this year celebrates its ninth edition and concludes one of the most spectacular cherry blossom exhibitions in all of North America.
