April (shigatsu) bears the poetic name Uzuki, because it is the month (tsuki or zuki) that the U no hana or deutzia shrubs are in bloom - which is now not anymore the case, as this name is based on the lunar calendar. It is also the month that preparations for planting by farmers are progressing, as well as a good time to be outdoors and enjoy the new greenery appearing in profusion.
April could better be called "cherry blossom month," for it is the time that the Japanese queen of flowers are in majestic bloom. The cherry blossom, sakura, is Japan's national flower - not for nothing is the word for flower, hana, synonymous with "cherry blossom." When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, for a few weeks Japan is a land of breathtaking beauty. Cherry blossoms are an important theme in classical poetry as well, especially since the Middle Ages. To the Japanese, the cherry blossoms are all the more attractive because of their frailty and short duration - even when in full bloom, they can be easily blown by the winds and fall instantly.
During the short blooming season, sakura are the topic of the hour. People discuss the best places to see them, the varieties, and trees of unusual interest. They have become accustomed to do away with daily duties during the sakura season and enter into a gay holiday mood and have sakura-viewing parties (hanami). Others (including the undersigned) prefer to admire the blossoms in a quiet, remote spot or by some riverbank less frequented by other people. It is also possible to enjoy just one choice tree instead of a great number of trees. There are 16 principle varieties of sakura. The first trees to flower are the pink-and-white single petaled variety. After that, the double-petaled varieties bloom in abundance for a period of about 2 weeks.
The five best places to see sakura in Kyoto are:
Arashiyama
The Kyoto Incline
Nishiyama
April is the start of the fiscal year (shinnendo) as well as of the academic year and the school year (although that may change in the near future); new recruits are hired from April one by companies and government offices. The sakura parties are a good way to get to know new colleagues.
The Spring Shows of the Geisha Districts of Kyoto ("haru no odori"):
Miyako Odori (Gion Kaburenjo) from April 1
Kyo Odori (Miyagawa-cho) from April 2
Kitano Odori (Kami Shichiken near Kitano Tenmangu) from April 15
Pontocho Kamogawa Odori from May 1
[Hanamido with Buddha statue]
The Flower Festival or Hanamatsuri on April 8 is the celebration of the birth of Buddha. Also called Kanbutsu-e ("Baptizing Ceremony of Buddha"), in Japan, temples set up a temporary structure called hanamido (literally, "blossom temple") decorated with various plants and flowers. Inside the hanamido, a Kanbutsu-oke tub is placed which is filled with amacha (hydrangea tea). A Buddhist statue is placed at the center of the tub and amacha is poured over it with a tea ladle as a celebration. The statue, with one hand raised high toward heaven and the other directed to the earth, represents Buddha soon after his birth when he stood erect, raised his right hand, lowered his left hand and declared: "I am the lord through heaven and earth". People pour amacha based upon the legend that nine dragons poured sacred water from the sky to be used for Buddha's first bath when he was born. The tradition of bathing the Buddha originated in China and was introduced to Japan where it was reputedly first held in Nara in 606.
Yasurai matsuri on April 10 at the Imamiya Shrine in Kyoto. The origin of the festival dates back to the 8th c., when the people prayed to the shrine for help in abating a serious epidemic. There is a costumed parade of court nobles and their retinues; a procession of men dressed as devils; and priests chanting "yasurai!" (Relax!).
Hirano Sakura Matsuri on April 10. A costume parade originating in the Heian area, at the time that all the blossoms in the shrine grounds are in full bloom.
April 21 to 29 is held the Mibu Dainenbutsu Kyogen, religious plays at Mibudera in Kyoto with a 700 year history, performed entirely in pantomime with 30 characters who wear ancient wooden masks. Each day four or five kyogen are performed from 13:00-17:00.
April 29: Kyokusui-no-En at the Jonangu
Shrine, Kyoto. A drinking party - originally a pastime of courtiers - which involves cups of sake being floated down a small, winding stream in a garden, whereby participants seated on the bank had to improvise poems; if the participant could not compose a poem, he had to drink a cup of sake as a penalty.
April 29 is a public holiday: Showa no Hi. Showa Day honors the birthday of Emperor Showa (Hirohito), the reigning emperor from 1926 to 1989. This holiday is also the start of Golden Week, which lasts until May 5.
Festivals held in April in other locations than Kyoto include:
- April 7-14: Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine Spring Festival in Kamakura
- April 14,15: Takayama festival in Spring (Sanno Festival in Takayama, Gifu)
In the Japanese kitchen, the mild spring is the time for fresh new ingredients like bamboo shoots (takenoko) and also wild plants in bud that still have a certain bitterness (sansai). Shellfish are at their best. The first bonito fish (katsuo) of the year are caught near Hokkaido. A popular snack with green tea are sakuramochi, rice cakes containing red bean paste wrapped in a
salted cherry leaf. The combination of the sweetness of the red-bean
past and the saltiness of the cherry leaf is very interesting.