Hanami Season in Hiroshima Has Begun!

Hiroshima City has an endless number of sites to hold a hanami (花見 – “flower-viewing”) party, with the riverside by Peace Memorial Park and the grounds of Hiroshima Castle being among the most popular venues. Folks often set a picnic blanket under a tree of their choice to reserve that spot for later, when the rest of the party shows up. In addition to the blossoms, people attend hanami parties for the food, drink, and camaraderie, giving rise to the Japanese idiomatic expression “Hana yori dango (花より団子 – “rice dumplings before flowers”),” implying the real reason people sit under the sakura.