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Japanese Cherry
Somei Yoshino Sakura
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Rosaceae Subfamily: Prunoideae Genus: Prunus
Species
Prunus jamasakura Prunus serrulata Prunus × yedoensis Sakura is the Japanese name for ornamental cherry trees and their blossoms. ... Image File history File links Acap. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 1810 KB)Yoshino Sakura at the Georgia International Horse Park. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class of flowering plants. ... Families Barbeyaceae Cannabaceae (hemp family) Dirachmaceae Elaeagnaceae Moraceae (mulberry family) Rosaceae (rose family) Rhamnaceae (buckthorn family) Ulmaceae (elm family) Urticaceae (nettle family) For the Philippine municipality, see Rosales, Pangasinan. ... Global distribution of Rosaceae Subfamilies Rosoideae Spiraeoideae Maloideae Amygdaloideae or Prunoideae The Rosaceae or rose family is a large family of plants, with about 3,000-4,000 species in 100-120 genera. ... Genera Prunus Prinsepia Prunoideae, also called Amygdaloideae, is the subfamily containing the genera Prunus and Prinsepia. ... Species Prunus alabamensis Prunus alleghaniensis Prunus americana Prunus andersonii Prunus angustifolia Prunus armeniaca Prunus avium Prunus caroliniana Prunus cerasifera Prunus cerasus Prunus domestica Prunus dulcis Prunus emarginata Prunus fasciculata Prunus fremontii Prunus fruticosa Prunus geniculata Prunus glandulosa Prunus gracilis Prunus grayana Prunus havardii Prunus hortulana Prunus ilicifolia Prunus japonica Prunus... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sakura. ... Binomial name Matsum. ...

Sakura or Cherry Blossom (Japanese kanji and Chinese character: 桜 or 櫻; katakana: サクラ) is the Japanese name for ornamental cherry trees, Prunus serrulata, and their blossoms. Cherry fruit (known as sakuranbo) comes from a different species of tree. Sakura is also a given name. The word "sakura" becomes "zakura" when used in a compound word such as "shidarezakura." Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji   ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Arabic numerals. ... Japanese name Kanji: Hiragana: Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Vietnamese name Quốc ngữ: Hán tá»±: A Chinese character or Han character (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a logogram used in writing Chinese, Japanese, sometimes Korean, and formerly Vietnamese. ... Katakana ) is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet. ... For other uses, see Cherry (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sakura. ... Look up Appendix:Most popular given names by country in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

History

Sakura is indigenous to the Himalayas, North Bengal (now Bangladesh) and in east Asia such as China, Japan and Korea. Japan has a wide variety of sakura; more than 305 cultivars can be found there.^{[citation needed]} Many were artificially hybridized or grafted by Japanese horticulturalists centuries ago.^{[citation needed]} For the movie Himalaya, see Himalaya (film). ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... This Osteospermum Pink Whirls is a successful cultivar. ... Horticulture (Latin: hortus (garden plant) + cultura (culture)) are classically defined as the culture or growing of garden plants. ...

Flower viewing

Main article: Hanami

During the Heian Period (794–1191), the Japanese nobility sought to emulate many practices from China, including the social phenomenon of flower viewing (hanami: 花見), where the imperial households, poets, singers, and other aristocrats would gather and party under the blossoms. The first recorded flower-viewing event took place at Kyoto's Shinsen-en Garden in 812. In China, the ume "plum" tree (actually a species of apricot) was held in highest regard, but by the middle of the ninth century, the sakura had replaced the plum as the favored species in Japan.^{[citation needed]} Hanami parties along the Kamo River. ... The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Heian Period. ... Hanami parties along the Kamo River. ... Binomial name Prunus mume Siebold & Zucc. ...

Every year the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the public track the sakura zensen (cherry-blossom front) as it moves northward up the archipelago with the approach of warmer weather via nightly forecasts following the weather segment of news programs. The blossoming begins in Okinawa in January and typically reaches Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April. It proceeds into areas at the higher altitudes and northward, arriving in Hokkaidō a few weeks later. Japanese pay close attention to these forecasts and turn out in large numbers at parks, shrines, and temples with family and friends to hold flower-viewing parties. Hanami festivals celebrate the beauty of the sakura and for many are a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful view. The custom of hanami dates back many centuries in Japan: the eighth-century chronicle Nihon Shoki (日本書紀) records hanami festivals being held as early as the third century CE. This article is about the prefecture. ... Kyoto )   is a city in the central part of the island of HonshÅ«, Japan. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ...   literally North Sea Circuit, Ainu: Mosir), formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japans second largest island and the largest of its 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. ... Nihonshoki (日本書紀) is the second oldest history book about the ancient history of Japan. ...

Most Japanese schools and public buildings have sakura trees outside of them. Since the fiscal and school year both begin in April, in many parts of Honshū, the first day of work or school coincides with the cherry blossom season. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Symbolism

In China, the cherry blossom is a symbol of feminine beauty. It also represents the feminine principle and love in the language of herbs. In Japan, cherry blossoms symbolize the transience of life because of their short blooming times. They have also come to represent clouds of their nature of blooming en masse. Falling blossoms are metaphors for fallen warriors who died bravely in battle. ^{[citation needed]} This connotation links them with the samurai. This theme remains alive today and is often observed in pop culture, especially manga and anime. Music also works with the theme; for example, the band Kagrra often uses sakura in its songs and live shows for ambiance. The flower is also represented on all manner of consumer goods, including kimono, stationery, and dishware. Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, and as such are frequently depicted in art.^{[citation needed]} There is at least one popular folk song, originally meant for the shakuhachi (bamboo flute), titled "Sakura", and several pop songs. For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation). ... This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... Kagrra , followed by a comma on album art and promotional material) is a Japanese rock band and part of the countrys visual kei movement. ... A traditional wedding kimono The kimono literally something worn) is the national costume of Japan. ... Bronze statue of Amida Buddha at Kotokuin in Kamakura (1252 A.D.) Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting on silk and paper, and a myriad of other types of works of art. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... A shakuhachi flute, blowing edge up. ... Score of Sakura Sakura (さくら) is the name of a traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season of sakura. ... J-pop (or Jpop) is an abbreviation of Japanese pop. ...

During World War II, the sakura was a motivation for the Japanese people. Japanese pilots would paint them on the sides of their planes before embarking on a suicide mission, and they were referred to in the names of kamikaze units. A cherry blossom painted on the sides of the bomber symbolized the beauty and ephemerality of nature.^[1] The government encouraged the people to believe that the souls of downed warriors were reincarnated in the blossoms. Even now Japanese military and police use the cherry blossom in emblems, flags, and insignia instead of star.^{[citation needed][clarify]} Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... USS Bunker Hill was hit by Ogawa (see picture left) and another kamikaze near Kyūshū on May 11, 1945. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

The most popular variety of sakura in Japan is the Somei Yoshino. Its flowers are nearly pure white, tinged with the palest pink, especially near the stem. They bloom and usually fall (or “scatter,” 散る chiru) within a week, before the leaves come out. Therefore, the trees look nearly white from top to bottom. The variety takes its name from the village of Somei (now part of Toshima in Tokyo). It was developed in the mid- to late-19th century at the end of the Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji period. The Somei Yoshino is so widely associated with cherry blossoms that jidaigeki and other works of fiction often depict the variety in the Edo period or earlier; such depictions are anachronisms. Toshima (豊島区; -ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. ... For other uses, see Tokyo (disambiguation). ... The Edo period ), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868. ... The Meiji period ), or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of Emperor Meiji, running, in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July 1912. ... Jidaigeki (時代劇) is a genre of film and television in Japan. ... The Edo period ), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868. ...

Other categories include yamazakura, yaezakura, and shidarezakura. The yaezakura have large flowers, thick with rich pink petals. The shidarezakura, or weeping cherry, has branches that fall like those of a weeping willow, bearing cascades of pink flowers.

Philippines

A province in Western Philippines, Palawan, serves as home to an endemic Palawan Cherry Blossoms, which appears to resemble that of Japan's, thus the name. Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. ...

United States

Japan gave 3,000 sakura trees as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the nations' then-growing friendship. These trees have since lined the shore of the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. (see West Potomac Park), and the gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1956. The sakura trees continue to be a popular tourist attraction (and the subject of the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival) when they reach full bloom in early spring. 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Looking north from West Potomac Park across the Tidal Basin, showing cherry trees in flower West Potomac Park adjoins the National Mall in Washington, DC. It includes the parkland that extends south of the Reflecting Pool, from the Lincoln Memorial to the grounds of the Washington Monument. ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Washington, D.C. Tidal Basin showing cherry trees in flower The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual celebration in Washington, D.C., commemorating the March 27, 1912, gift to the city of 3,000 Japanese cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to enhance the growing friendship between...

Other cities such as Philadelphia and Macon, Georgia have an annual Cherry Blossom Festival (or Sakura Matsuri). Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Macon is a city located in central Georgia, USA. It is among the largest metropolitan areas in Georgia, and the county seat of Bibb County, It lies near the geographic center of Georgia, approximately 75 miles (129 km) south of Atlanta, hence the citys nickname as the Heart of...

Germany

The cherry blossom is a major tourist attraction in Germany's Altes Land orchard region. Altes Land is an area of reclaimed marshland straddling parts of Lower Saxony and Hamburg. ... A community apple orchard originally planted for productive use during the 1920s, in Westcliff on Sea (Essex, England) An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs maintained for food production. ...

Gallery

"Weeping" Sakura tree in Maruyama Park, Kyoto Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 643 KB) Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Cherry blossoms at Maruyama Park Maruyama Park, is the main center for cherry blossom viewing in Kyoto, and can get extremely crowded at that time of year. ... Kyoto )   is a city in the central part of the island of HonshÅ«, Japan. ...	Close up of cherry blossoms Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 186 KB)Yoshino Sakura I, PiccoloNamek, took this. ...	Cherry trees with Mount Fuji and the Shinkansen in the background Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x608, 89 KB) Summary self made Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Mount Fuji Mount Fuji , IPA: )  , is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). ... For the record label, see Shinkansen Records. ...	Cherry blossoms as seen in Washington, D.C. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 1. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ...
Cherry blossoms on tree Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 500 pixelsFull resolution (2814 × 1759 pixel, file size: 1. ...	Washington, D.C. Tidal Basin showing cherry trees in flower Download high resolution version (640x981, 268 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	Cherry blossoms close up. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixel Image in higher resolution (1999 × 1335 pixel, file size: 1. ...	A close up of Yoshino Cherry Blossoms along the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (3264 × 2448 pixel, file size: 3. ... The Tidal Basin is a partially man-made inlet adjacent to the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It is part of West Potomac Park and is surrounded by the Jefferson Memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. ...

Notes

1. ^ Sakamoto, Kerri: One Hundred Million Hearts. Vintage Book, 2004. ISBN 0-676-97512-7.

See also

• Prunus
• Kigo: discussion of the role of sakura in Japanese poetry
• Mono no aware

Species Prunus alabamensis Prunus alleghaniensis Prunus americana Prunus andersonii Prunus angustifolia Prunus armeniaca Prunus avium Prunus caroliniana Prunus cerasifera Prunus cerasus Prunus domestica Prunus dulcis Prunus emarginata Prunus fasciculata Prunus fremontii Prunus fruticosa Prunus geniculata Prunus glandulosa Prunus gracilis Prunus grayana Prunus havardii Prunus hortulana Prunus ilicifolia Prunus japonica Prunus... Cherry trees from Japan around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. For other uses see Kigo disambiguation Kigo (season word(s), from the Japanese 季語, kigo) are words or phrases that are generally associated with a particular season. ... Grave of the Japanese poet Yosa Buson Waka and Kanshi, Chinese poetry written in Chinese, were the two great pillars of traditional Japanese poetry. ... Mono no aware , lit. ...

External links

• Vancouver Sakura Diary, photos of different Sakura varieties.
• Yeuoido Spring Flower Festival in Seoul
• Sakura in Kyoto
• Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia, Information about cherry trees and Philadelphia's Cherry Blossom Festival.
• Sakura Gallery From Tokyo & Kyoto
• Photo Gallery of Cherry Blossoms Sakura from Kyoto, Tokyo, Miyajima and other places around Japan
• Photo Gallery of Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC
• Cherry Blossom Spots in Japan