There will be no picnic under the cherry blossoms for Tokyo residents this year. The city has asked residents to avoid mass meetings in parks due to the coronavirus epidemic.
The great hanami festivities (or contemplation of flowers) should start this year in mid-March. Traditionally, the Japanese go by the millions with friends, colleagues or family to picnic under the trees. According to the government, such gatherings risk promoting the transmission of the virus, which has already infected at least 284 people on Japanese soil.
We are already in March and at the end of the month, this is the period you all expected in Japan: the cherry blossom!
Here are the top 3 of the best spots to watch the #SAKURA https://t.co/jA3otpcpNk#fleursdecerisiers#hanami#Japon pic.twitter.com/NN83qZTyjK
A poetic event
"Please refrain from attending parties including food and drink" to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, authorities said. However, walking in the parks to observe the cherry trees is no problem, provided you wear a mask if you cough. The areas concerned include parks such as those of Ueno and Yoyogi as well as the banks of the Sumida.
The cherry blossom is feverishly awaited each year by the Japanese but also by tourists, some of whom organize their trip around this event. It symbolizes the fragility of life, the ephemeral nature of existence, because the flowers are only fully open for a week before their petals are scattered.
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