Hanami

The arrival of spring raises an important question. Is it better to admire the cherry blossoms drunk or sober? In Japan, the consensus is 'drunk'. When the sakura bloom, Japanese people sit in parks getting raucously sloshed and contemplating the transience of life, as symbolised by those briefly spectacular flowers. Everyone agrees that alcohol heightens the experience.

This week's Economist introduced me to a Japanese festival - Hanami - of which I was previously unaware.

According to Wikipedia: Hanami was first used as a term analogous to cherry blossom viewing in the Heian era novel Tale of Genji.

What a great idea, if I can find some cherry blossom next weekend I will plant myself under it with a bento box, a case of Kirin, and a bottle of saki and get quiety sloshed meditating on Basho's haiku.

Come out to view
the truth of flowers blooming
in poverty