Bloom and Grow Forever 花

There is a peculiarly strong emphasis on flowers in Japan. 

Of course, people around the world love flowers 

- particularly girls if they come in a bouquet with a note - 

but in Japan they are omnipresent and take center stage in so many aspects of life.

For example, one way that flowers take center stage is through festivals. Festivals bring people together to celebrate, wear beautiful clothing, eat festival foods, enjoy the afternoon, and maybe watch fireworks. Festivals bring communities together all throughout the spring and summer here in Japan and it is common for a flower to be in the center of the hubub. 

Flower festivals can celebrate the beginning of the bloom, the changing of leaves, or the quiet passing of the petals. Some of the flowers with festivals in my area are: hydrangea, sunflowers, plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, roses, dahlias, and  azaleas.

In addition to festivals, flowers are interwoven into daily life. Historically they were painted onto walls as wallpaper with a different flower theme for every room - particularly in royal houses. They also are a flavor for seasonal foods, appear on serving dishes (which is usually changed with the season), on paintings, in the ever-present flower arrangements, and in the windows of the many flower shops in each city. In my city they will usually have a small segment of the train station floor devoted to the seasonal flower of choice. 

It seems odd to see the seasonal flowers as an american, but it is so beautiful. 

I love flowers, even more so now that I frequently see them, and I am learning to associate each flower with its season.