SAKURA

Sakura (桜, 樱) along with chrysanthemums, is a Japanese national flower that blooms in spring, around early April to late April.

Sakura can be seen everywhere in Japan, shown in a wide variety of consumer goods, including kimono, stationery, and kitchen appliances. For the Japanese, the cherry is an important symbol, which is often associated with women, life, death, and also a symbol to express the bond between people, courage, sadness, and joy. Sakura is also a metaphor for characteristics that are not eternal life.

Descriptions of the

Cherry tree is one of the trees belonging to the family of Rosaceae, genus Prunus similar to a tree plums, peaches, or apricots, but it is generally classified in the subgenus sakura cherry. The origins of the word "sakura" is the word "pocket" (Japanese for "flower") plus the suffix which states the plural form "ra". In English, called the cherry blossoms cherry blossoms.

Flower color depends on the species, there are colored white with a little pink, yellow, pink, light green or red light.

Flower is classified into 3 types based on composition of leaf crown:

* Single flowers with petals layer

* Double flowers with layered petals

* Semi-double flowers

Flowering cherry tree once a year, on the island of Honshu, the cherry blossoms start to look kind someiyoshino in late winter and flowers bloom in late March to early April when the weather starts to warm.

In Japan, the flowering of the cherry types someiyoshino starting from Okinawa in February, resumed on the island of Honshu to the west, arrived in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto in late March to early April, then move little by little to the north, and ending in Hokkaido in during the Golden Week holidays.

Each year, observers issued a map of the movement of the flowering of cherry blossoms someiyoshino from west to east and then north-called sakurazensen. Using the map sakurazensen be known location of cherry blossoms are in bloom at any given moment.

Characteristic

Characteristic sakura is kind someiyoshino flowers first bloom before the leaves start out. Dozens, hundreds, even thousands of trees that are in the same location, the flowers begin to bloom in unison and fall out one by one at almost the same time.

Someiyoshino kinds of cherry blossoms can last only approximately 7 to 10 days counted from the flower buds open to flowers began to fall. Impeachment of the cherry blossoms depending on the weather and often precipitated by heavy rains and strong winds. Several species of birds known to eat the flowers that taste sweet, whereas pigeons eat all parts of the flower.

Rare opportunity rollicking picnic under the cherry tree to enjoy the flowering of cherry blossoms is called hanami (ohanami). While doing hanami is when all the cherry tree that is somewhere all the flowers had bloomed.

In Japan there is a standard for conveying information the cherry blossoms bloom, starting from the opening of flower buds (kaika), flowering of 10% of flower buds on the tree (ichibuzaki) until the flowers bloom all (mankai). Flowers that loss was soon replaced with the release of young leaves. Cherry tree that flowers begin to fall out and start growing young leaves as much as 10% called Ichibu hazakura. Meanwhile, the cherry trees are all the flowers have fallen and only the young leaves have called hazakura (cherry leaf).

Flowers bloom from tree species yamazakura slower than other types of someiyoshino and flowers bloom along with the release of young leaves.

Consumption of cherry blossoms

Leaves and cherry blossoms that have been soaked in salt water (shiozuke) used for food because the smell is fragrant. moci sakura mochi are cakes wrapped in cherry leaves. There are also ice cream and pastry flavors of cherry blossoms. Cherry blossom tea is generally drunk on special occasions such as weddings. Twigs and buds of cherry blossoms are also used as natural dyes.

Types

Most types of cherry trees is the result of crossbreeding, such as the type someiyoshino scattered throughout Japan since the Meiji era is the result of crossing a cherry tree at the end of the Edo period. Sakura types someiyoshino this is very widespread, so most people only know someiyoshino (which is one type of cherry) as a cherry.

In ancient times before there is a type someiyoshino, Japanese people know the cherry blossoms that bloom in the mountains called yamazakura and yaezaki as sakura sakura no. In the current blossoming of cherry blossoms, thousands of trees that grow in the Mountains Yamazakura Yoshino (Nara Prefecture) creates stunning views of white, light green, and pink.

Some types of cherry:

* Edohigan

Edohigan is a cherry that blooms in the spring equinox day and the longest flower life. Other types are similar to edohigan ishiwarizakura and yamadakashinyozakura which includes a cherry tree that is protected. Miharutakizakura is one type of edohigan the branches dangle dangling, while yaebenishidare known leaves a lot of flowers and bright colors.

* Hikanzakura

Hikanzakura kanhizakura is also called cherry spread from the southern Chinese territory up to the island of Formosa. Kanhizakura commonly found growing wild in Okinawa Prefecture. For the people of Okinawa, the word "sakura" often means hikansakura. Announcement blossoming cherry blossoms in Okinawa usually means blossoming hikanzakura. In Okinawa, hikanzakura flower buds begin to open around January or February. On the island of Honshu, hikanzakura widely planted starting from the Kanto region to Kyushu and usually begin to bloom around February or March.

* Shidarezakura

Cherry blossoms shidare type (Shidarezakura)

* Fuyuzakura

Fuyuzakura (winter cherry) is a type of cherry tree that flowers bloom around November to late December. Onishimachi in Gunma Prefecture is the place to see the famous fuyuzakura.

Sakura and cherries

Cherry trees produce fruit known as cherries (Japanese: sakuranbo). Young cherry fruit is green and the ripe fruit is red to dark red to purple. Although its shape is almost similar with canned cherries, cherry cherry trees produced small size and taste awful, so do not be consumed.

Cherry trees that produce fruit cherries for consumption purposes is generally not to enjoy the flowers and only grown in plantations. Largest producers of cherries in Japan are in Yamagata Prefecture. Cherries Japanese domestic products such as type of sato Nishiki extraordinarily expensive price. In Japan, domestic production of cherries just purchased to be presented on special occasions. Cherries are widely consumed by people in Japan are imported cherries from Washington state and California in the United States.

Places to see Sakura flower choice

In 1990, Sakura Flower Association of Japan (Japan Cherry Blossom Association) issued a list of 100 places chosen to see the beauty of Sakura flower.

Kanto Region:

* Tokyo: Ueno Park (Taito-ku), Garden-Gyoen Shinjuku (Shinjuku-ku), Sumida Garden (Sumida-ku), Koganei Park (city of Koganei), Garden Inogashira (Musashino city)

Tokai region:

* Gifu Prefecture: Park Usuzumi / Neodani (city Motosu), River Edge Shinsakai (Kakamigahara city), Kamagatani (Ikeda city)

Kansai Region:

* Osaka: Osaka Castle Park (Osaka), The Mint Bureau (Osaka), Garden Expo '70 (the city of Suita)

* Hyogo Prefecture: Park Himeji Castle (Himeji city), Garden Akashi (Akashi City), Garden Shukugawa (Nishinomiya)

* Nara Prefecture: Nara Park (Nara city), Mount Yoshino (Yoshino town), Garden Kooriyamajoshi (Yamato Kooriyama)