[For Seniors] Conversation Starters! A Collection of Trivia and Quizzes About Cherry Blossoms

Sakura Sakura Anpan

On April 4, 1875 (Meiji 8), the sweets served when Emperor Meiji went cherry-blossom viewing were sakura anpan. This sakura anpan was made by Kimuraya, with salted double-flowered cherry blossom petals embedded in the bread. The combination of the sweet anpan and the salted sakura paired well, and it’s said that Emperor Meiji was delighted.

horse

There are various theories, but sakura-niku refers to horse meat. In Japan, it is sometimes eaten as sashimi, and a leading theory is that it’s called “sakura meat” because the color of the meat when cut is a pink similar to cherry blossoms.

rot; decay; go bad; spoil

Because bacteria can enter and cause the cherry blossoms themselves to rot, if you break them, disinfection to remove bacteria is necessary.

Oshima cherry

That distinctive sweet aroma that wraps sakura mochi actually comes from a compound called coumarin found in the leaves of the Oshima cherry.

5 pieces

A typical cherry blossom has five petals. In particular, many varieties commonly seen in Japan, such as Somei Yoshino, have five petals. There are also types with many petals, like yaezakura (double-flowered cherry), but the basic number is five. Incidentally, yaezakura blossoms form a single large flower with layered petals, ranging from about 10 to over 100.

Farming season

People in the past would look at the blooming of cherry blossoms to decide when to start farm work. In particular, it’s said that they often began tasks like rice planting and sowing seeds around the time when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

Yasukuni Shrine

Tokyo’s “blooming declaration” is based on the Somei-Yoshino cherry tree at Yasukuni Shrine. Each year, the Japan Meteorological Agency confirms the blooming of the cherry blossoms at this location, and the declaration is made based on that information. Yasukuni Shrine has a specimen tree said to be the earliest to bloom in Tokyo, and because its blooming status is reported nationwide, it draws a great deal of attention.