Cherry blossoms are back, but is Tokyo?

TOKYOITES are getting back into a pre-Covid tradition. This weekend sees the return of hanami, the cherry-blossom viewing parties that are part of a tradition dating back to the Heian era of 1,200 years ago – before being cruelly interrupted by the Covid pandemic.

Each spring heralds the spectacular but short-lived bloom of the flowers that coincides with the end of Japan’s fiscal and school years, and becomes a time of partings and new beginnings – as well as an excuse for raucous drinking parties beneath the petals.

This will be the first year since the coronavirus first surfaced in Wuhan that authorities aren’t cautioning against holding such celebrations.