The Sakura Effect

3/17/10

When I decided that I wanted to study abroad in Japan, I knew right away that I wanted to go in the spring. My reason? I wanted to see the cherry blossoms (or sakura in Japan) in bloom.



Sakura season is a big deal in Japan. I knew this before, but didn’t fully realize it until I experienced sakura-mania in Tokyo. Every other shop from bookstores to bakeries has decorations of pink flowers in the windows or near the door. Tea shops are selling sakura tea, Starbucks has been advertising the sakura frappacino and the sakura steamer, and you can bet that all kinds of bakeries and pastry shops have added sakura treats to their menus; Cake, cookies, bread, and of course, mochi.



So today I went to Ueno Park to see if any of the trees had blossomed. Ueno Park is home to a zoo, several museums, and the largest population of pigeons in Tokyo (these being the first ones I’ve seen since I arrived). The park is also one of the few places where you will actually see street performers; jugglers and street magicians and the like. To my surprise, there were a few trees in bloom despite the cool weather. This is nothing in comparison to what I expect the trees will look like when they are all in bloom at once, but it was still nice to see some blossoms here and there.


Once I had my fill of the park, I walked to Akihabara where I bought a sakura steamer and a sakura cream mochi. The steamer was delicious, with a hint of sweet and warm spice, something akin to cinnamon, and the mochi was just as yummy; a rice cake filled with sakura paste and cream. A nice little treat on a chilly early spring day.