Celebrating Next Year's Success at the Cherry Blossom Lounge

This year's cherry blossom forecast predicts Tokyo will bloom earliest in all of Japan, with the 24th being the expected date.

In a way, it's heartening that cherry blossom forecasts have become such a major concern online.

Especially recently, we've been so lacking in uplifting news.

Therefore, full bloom may occur at the end of the month or possibly in April.

On the 29th, we're holding our traditional revival event "Cherry Blossom Lounge" at La Collezione in Omotesando from 3 PM.

People come in crowds for cherry blossom viewing

　　　　　Yet this is precisely the fault of the precious cherry blossoms

This is a passage from Zeami's Noh play "Saigyo Zakura."

At Saigyo's hermitage in Kyoto, beautiful cherry blossoms bloom in spring, and many people come to view the flowers.

However, this year Saigyo had his reasons and instructed his temple servant to forbid cherry blossom viewing.

While Saigyo was alone appreciating the cherry blossoms, many people came as they did every year.

Saigyo couldn't turn away those who had traveled so far, so he welcomed them in.

Then he composed the poem: "People come in crowds for cherry blossom viewing / Yet this is precisely the fault of the precious cherry blossoms"

(It is the sin of cherry blossoms that they attract people with their beauty) and dozed in the shade of the tree, intending to gaze at the cherry blossoms through the night.

An old man appeared and asked Saigyo, "What is this fault of the cherry blossoms?"

"Cherry blossoms merely bloom; they can have no fault," he said, and admonished Saigyo that "it is the human heart that finds them troublesome."

The old man was the spirit of the cherry blossoms who had appeared to clear his name of any wrongdoing.

The spirit of the old cherry tree taught Saigyo about famous cherry blossom spots and performed a dance.

Before long, Saigyo awoke from his dream, the spirit of the old cherry tree disappeared, and only the old cherry tree remained, breathing quietly.

Saigyo also composed:

If I may have my wish / Let me die beneath the flowers / In spring

Around the full moon / Of that second month

As this poem shows, his deep attachment to cherry blossoms is evident.

Why do we react so strongly to these flowers?

Is it in our Japanese DNA?

Please enjoy the Cherry Blossom Lounge during this spring moment.

Press release for "Cherry Blossom Lounge" https://newsrelea.se/7D5NXb