Have You Been to ‘Hanami’ , Cherry Blossom Viewing?　    4.16, 2013

　The other day, Tokyo-based Weather News asked about 30,000 people across the country on the internet about their views of Japanese cherry blossoms. 97 % responded that “I like Sakura”, while 90 % said " I go to Hanami, cherry-blossom viewing ”. They said the love of Sakura by Japanese has been proven. In response to the questions about Hanami, the average number of times to do Hanami was 1.6 times, with 5 % going “ 5 times or more “. 75% of respondents said  “ I like Sakura very much" and 22% said " I like it so- so “, bringing the total up to 97% when combined. The longest cherry-blossom viewing time is  3 hours 26 minutes in Aomori Prefecture. It is  2 hours 51 minutes in Osaka prefecture in 2nd, and Hyogo prefecture was  2 hours 36 minutes, 15th in the nation. In Aomori prefecture, the average Hanami budget was ￥2,908. It was ¥2,371 in Hyogo prefecture, the 14th highest .

 　Although I go to see my cherry blossoms which I donated in 1989 in Sakuranomiya-park in Osaka every year, I could not go to see the flowers in full bloom at the beginning of April this year because of my hernia surgery and catching cold. But I got beautiful purple tulips from my niece and nephew and “Bird of paradise flowers” arrived from Isozaki, a horticulturist friend on Hachijojima Island and my heart was healed by the beautiful flowers. It has been already more than 30 years since he was on my TV show and he has been kindly entertaining me with rare flowers since. In spring he sends Freesia (Freesea refracta), in summer ‘Dancing ladies ginger (gloppa grandi flora)’ and in autumn and winter, he sends me strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) or orchids. Hachijojima Island is an isolated mild island of Tokyo and there are hotsprings there. Mr. Isozaki is a kind-hearted person and I find peace of mind when I get beautiful flowers that he always sends.

　In that way my ‘Hanami’　flower viewing of this spring ended and strelitzia is blooming beautifully in my house now.

　This is ‘my house Hanami’.  

　　　　Strelitzia ストレチア    http://strelitzia.jp/ 

　　　　Freesea フリージア　  http://www.hana300.com/furiji.html

           Dancing ladies ginger シャムの舞姫 http://yasashi.info/ku_00028.htm 　

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