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Spring is around the corner. It is the time for the Japanese to enjoy the beautiful Japanese Plum or Ume (梅) flower blossoms. As compared to cherry blossoms (sakura), Japanese plum (ume) flowers bloom several weeks earlier. Thus it is the time for hanami (花見) - events and customs for admiring the beauty of the Ume and Sakura flowers. According to the history, hanami is said to have evolved from parties held amid plum groves at the palaces of Chinese emperors. After hanami’s introduction to Japan, Japanese court nobles held fetes during ume blooming season to sing poems. Ume was then replaced by cherry blossoms in the 8th century, or at the beginning of the Heian Period, around the 8th to 12th centuries. Because of its long history, hanami is deeply rooted in Japanese society and widely accepted as a form of mass culture encompassing people of all walks of life.


Beautiful Japanese White Ume Flowers

Pink Ume Flowers

Pink Ume Flowers

* For more photos, please check out my flickr photo set