Whether you can really appreciate a Japanese cultural phenomenon outside Japan is a moot point, but in these dark days, why not have a try.
Hanami involves losing yourself in the beauty of cherry blossom. In Japan, as the Times noted the other day, "the transient splendour on display for a few weeks each March and April was historically seen as an allegory for the often short but glorious life of the samurai."
The National Trust is encouraging us to “take a moment to pause, actively notice and enjoy the fleeting beauty of blossom, and share their images on social media for those who can’t see blossom themselves” via #BlossomWatch
Go on ... . But make sure you spend 100 times as much time looking at the blossom as you do fiddling with the phone camera. That is, "engage" with nature, says the Trust, referencing this to a research study by the University of Derby [*] which says that we're happier if we do. And if we do, the research says, we're more likely to do something to protect and look after it.
Is that because it has made us happier do you suppose?
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[*] An NAEE report on this is here.
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