又逢"花見會" 日本迎來賞櫻熱潮

Spring has begun, and so has Japan's obsession with cherry blossoms.

The pale pink blossoms or "sakura" are in full bloom, signaling that it's time to flock to parks across the country for picnics under the cherry trees.

At Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, people waited for hours to reserve the best spots to view the picturesque trees.

"I really enjoy sitting down here with my friends eating and joking around," said 17-year-old student Megumi Kohara.

These flower-viewing parties called "hanami," or "flower viewing" in Japanese, are spring traditions held among families, friends, or co-workers. Parties beneath the cherry trees can go on all day and night, especially during the weekends.

The cherry blossoms are also associated with new beginnings as the country's business and school years start on April 1.

As the blossoms -- a national obsession found in paintings, poetry and literature dating back centuries -- appear only briefly, throngs rush to catch a glimpse of them before spring rains sweep their fragile petals to the ground.

Some Japanese say that the cherry blossoms' ephemeral nature serves as a poignant reminder of how life itself is fleeting.

Unlike in many countries, it is not illegal in Japan to drink in public spaces and the hanami get-togethers involve plentiful beer and sake.

"Cherry blossoms bloom for such a short period of time and then they fall off in a dramatic way and I like to enjoy them while drinking," Tsuneo Ikuhara, 65, said.

春天來了，日本各地的賞櫻熱潮也開始了。

淺粉色的櫻花盛開枝頭，吸引了全國各地的人們涌入公園，在櫻花樹下舉行野餐聚會。

在東京的代代木公園裏，人們爲了預訂到最佳的賞櫻地點不惜等上好幾個小時。

17歲的學生小原惠美說：“我真的很喜歡坐在櫻花樹下和朋友一起吃吃東西，聊聊天。”

日本人稱這樣的賞花聚會爲“花見會”，在日語裏的意思是“觀賞櫻花”。“花見會”是日本人春日裏的傳統活動，親朋好友及同事們在櫻花樹下野餐聚會，有時一玩就是一個通宵，尤其是在週末。

盛開的櫻花還意味着新的開始，因爲日本的公司和學校都在四月一日開始運營。

幾個世紀以來，櫻花一直是日本繪畫、詩歌和文學的熱門題材。因爲櫻花花期很短，許多人都趕在嬌嫩的花瓣被春雨打落之前去一睹芳容。

一些日本人說櫻花的轉瞬即逝讓人聯想到生命本身的短暫。

和很多國家不同，在公共場所飲酒在日本並不違法，所以在花見會上，人們會喝很多的啤酒和日本清酒。

65歲的幾原恆雄說：“櫻花在短暫地盛開之後戲劇般地凋零，我喜歡一邊喝酒一邊欣賞它們。”

Vocabulary:

picturesque: pretty, especially in a way that looks old-fashioned 優美的；古色古香的

throng: a crowd of people 聚集的人羣；一大羣人

ephemeral: lasting or used for only a short period of time 短暫的；瞬息的

sake: a Japanese alcoholic drink made from rice 日本清酒