Cheers for cherry blossoms

tinawatanabe: "You don't have to accomplish anything to thank foreign tourists for coming and viewing cherry blossoms."

Thank them for coming, no. Thank them for looking at cherry blossoms and beaming with pride... it's just misplaced. If I go to your home and say, "Wow, you have a beautiful home, tina"; that is something you can be personally proud of it and thank me for saying so because you created the beauty of it -- or else paid for the construction of the man-made structure, oversaw it, etc. If I go and see the cherry blossoms and say "beautiful", you canNOT take credit for the cherry blossoms, period. You did not create them, and they are not yours. Being proud of them... sure, but not personally proud as though you have accomplished something, and pat yourself on the back. I'm not really surprised you naturally think that's okay, though.

smithi

Thanking them for looking at "Japanese nature" as though he somehow accomplished something in terms of nature is silly.

You don't have to accomplish anything to thank foreign tourists for coming and viewing cherry blossoms. In fact Japan is making lots of efforts to maintain Mt fuji and sakura in good condition in case you don't know.

tinawatanabe: "What's wrong with Chuichi welcoming foreign tourists to see cherry blossoms?"

He doesn't own them, nor does Japan have any ownership over nature. Welcome them to Japan, please! Thanking them for looking at "Japanese nature" as though he somehow accomplished something in terms of nature is silly. Do you think Japan created Mt. Fuji, for example? You didn't, so why on earth would you beam with pride or pat yourself on the back if someone says it's beautiful, instead of just appreciate the beauty of it and recognising beauty is universal?

I've never understood why people try taking credit for nature and should be thanked for enjoying it, like Japan created Mt. Fuji and the four seasons or something.

What's wrong with Chuichi welcoming foreign tourists to see cherry blossoms?

CrayZier Taiwanese Chics; Gotta' Luv 'em:

If I were one of the three guys this lovely pic would have an epilogue about a hospital visit.

It's been this way for the last 10 years; climate change. Back in the day, 15 - 20 years ago, the weather was a lot more defined and you were always sure of a good weekend for a party.

Old Japanese poems from Heian period, about 1,000 years ago, sang about bad weather during cherry blossom season.

I hope I would be in time for this in the future. Went last year during autumn, too cold for SEA tourist like myself.

The guys of course have no choice except to look at the cherry blossoms.

It is nature..after all..wonderful nature..!

This year is a washout? Last weekend too cold that doesn't stop many from still camping out in their umbrellas, winter jackets with 50K other people, oh the joy!

Some Chinese tourists braved the rain here in Miyzaki. My family and I chatted with them and we all ended up going to a family restaurant. We helped them with Japanese translation when needed for the train and waitstaff. The adults and kids spoke English so we could all enjoy new friendships after enjoying the blossoms in the rain at Kokumen Kouen. Funny thing, only about 6 natives around the park, including my wife. Guess the natives don't see their beauty unless it is convenient with warm and dry weather.

"Thank you so much for looking at cherry blossoms in full bloom"

I've never understood why people try taking credit for nature and should be thanked for enjoying it, like Japan created Mt. Fuji and the four seasons or something. Just admit beauty is universal, as is shown by these kids having fun and appreciating it. I doubt they bowed down to the trees and thanked Japan for them, and thought of how great the government and the people are when looking at the beauty of the blossoms.

kurisupisu: "This year is a washout?"

That's why the "cherry blossom tours" and what not are a joke. The people who signed up for them -- months in advance -- still paid full cost to see buds last week, and had them cancelled this week. I had a friend complaining and actually was quite angry about the weather this weekend and I reminded him that without rain there would be no blossoms to begin with. You can't expect weather to follow your plans, and we should just be thankful instead that we can see them at all. It's unfortunate, yes, but perhaps there are a few lessons to be learned from it all. Instead of "hanami" why don't we just "hana wo miru"? Enjoy nature instead of feeling entitled to a party and expecting nature to oblige. This is not at all the first time things have been a "washout" for many.

Ahh......beautiful and speechless. I have left Japan too soon on March 28th and I missed this. :(

For only a moment I think this is a composite pic, but this pic is looking much better in person! Thank you so much for looking at cherry blossoms in full bloom and showing us better performance, Tourists from Taiwan!

This year is a washout? Last weekend too cold, rain this weekend and next week the blossoms 'all be on the ground

Not sure that anyone's looking at the blossom.