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Stephanie- April Flowers

April Flowers

The month of April is a really beautiful time in Japan, and though I'd seen pictures of the famous sakura blossoms before, it is really amazing to be able to experience it in person. They are everywhere! When you see them from afar it almost looks like they are covered in snow, and sometimes when the wind blows it creates a shower of petals.
A hanami with the local Friends Group and some Hippo
members with a great view of Tokyo Sky Tree
In Japan, April is the beginning of the new year cycle for schools, universities, and hiring within companies, so the sakura blossoms mark the beginning of spring and a fresh start for the new year.
While Japan's sakura trees are famous all over the world, they are definitely not overlooked within Japan.  When they bloom, it's almost like it's own holiday. In the stores and restaurants you can find all sorts of different pink colored foods and sakura flavored sweets to celebrate the season, and there is even a word for picnics underneath the sakura trees: hanami. 'Hana' means flower in Japanese and mi is from the word 'mieru', to look, so it means flower viewing. When the sakura trees are in bloom, you will always find the parks full of people enjoying a picnic under the flowers. I think this has been one of my favorite things in Japan so far.
My host mom with one of the babies at the Friends Group hanami
My host mom and me
My host mom, grandmother and members from our Hippo club at a hanami near our house
My host dad trying to get the attention of the person he was talking to on the phone so he could find us
In the park near our house
Even the beer has sakura flowers!
Yuki and Joe, two members of our Hippo club
I was even lucky enough to be born in this month :) , so my birthday was full of flowers! My host family and members from my Hippo club had a party for me in our apartment building with a beautiful cake and lots of friends, and at work my coworkers gave me an adorable cake that looked like little bunnies. It was a really nice day!

Birthday party with my host family and Hippo friends
Cake from my host family
With my host sister and her friend Mu, also a member of our club
At the office
Part of the adorable bunny cake from everyone at work!
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