願わくは
花の下にて春死なん
その如月の望月のころ
ねがわくは
はなのしたにてはるしなん
そのきさらぎのもちづきのころ
Negawaku wa
Hana no shita nite haru shinan
Sono kisaragi no mochizuki no koro
I wish to die
in spring under the cherry blossoms,
In that month of Kisaragi, under the full moon
This is a very famous Japanese tanka. It was written around 1200 by a poet named Saigyo. “Hana'' means flower in English, but in this case it refers to cherry blossoms. In other words, the author says, “I want to die under cherry blossoms on a full moon day.''
Cherry blossoms fill the hearts of Japanese people. If I can see cherry blossoms on a full moon day, I feel like there's nothing more I want.
I like this poem very much. I understand this author's feelings very well. Life is not easy for anyone, but the cherry blossoms in Japan give a great impression to Japanese people. So, if I can see such beautiful scenery, I won't have any regrets even if I die.
Cherry blossoms are such a flower for Japanese people.
- Apr 11, 2024
- 1 min read
Every Japanese person must have a photo taken in front of a cherry blossom tree. Our lives and cherry blossoms are inseparable.
Many haiku poems in Japanese poetry have cherry blossoms as their theme. This is because cherry blossoms are a very special flower for Japanese people. Matsuo Basho, a poet of the Edo period, wrote this haiku.
さまざまのこと思い出す桜かな
Samazama no koto omoidasu, Sakura kana
花の雲鐘は上野か浅草か
Hana no kumo, Kane wa Ueno ka Asakusa ka
しばらくは花の上なる月夜かな
Shibaraku wa hana no ue naru, Tsukiyo kana
The first poem is translated into English as follows. Cherry blossoms stir Recollection of many things, Ah, the sakura!
The second English translation will be like this. Clouds of flowers, bell rings, Is it Ueno or Asakusa?
And the third one. For a while, Beneath the moonlit blooms, we find our repose.
Cherry blossoms in Japan begin to bloom at the end of March. Once it starts blooming, the flowers fall off within a week. However, because there are differences in temperature and temperature depending on the region, cherry blossom season in northern regions is in the second half of April.
Japanese elementary schools hold entrance ceremonies in early April. Many elementary schools had cherry blossom trees planted in their schoolyards. Therefore, many Japanese people have memories of entering elementary school while looking at cherry blossoms. This is why we often took pictures in front of cherry blossom trees when we were children.
- Apr 4, 2024
- 1 min read
Updated: Apr 10, 2024
If your country has a store similar to Japanese convenience stores, you may be able to buy this product there. This sweet is called “雪見だいふく/Yukimi Daifuku.''
It's a white, round cake with ice cream inside. It’s a very popular product and delicious. It's been on sale since I was a child. It is especially popular with girls and children.
The word “Daifuku'' comes from a traditional sweet called “Daifuku Mochi.'' Write “大福'' in kanji. It is believed that this word originally came from China.
大 dai = big
福 huku = happiness
In other words, “Daifuku'' means “great happiness.''
Daifuku mochi is a sweet made with red bean paste wrapped in white dough made from rice flour. It is a sweet that has been around for a long time in Japan. The original version of the sweets was probably born in China and eventually made its way to Japan.
So what does "雪見" mean? This word is a shortened form of the Japanese word ”雪を見る.'' There are many other things to which the word “雪見'' is attached, such as ”雪見窓”,' which existed in Japanese houses. This is a small window installed in the door of a house to allow people to see the snow. In other words, this is the Japanese style.
雪 yuki = snow
見 mi = see
The name “Yukimi Daifuku'' means snow-white daifuku mochi, and it means that the mochi is filled with snow-cold ice cream.
If you have a chance, you should definitely try it!