Japan Is Having The Kind Of Spring That Everyone Wants

Cancel all your plans for the weekend because you might want to take a plane to Japan as soon as you're done reading this. If you're anime fan, you probably know many big-eyed, high pitched girls with ponytails named Sakura. As the national flower of Japan and also the symbol of hope and renewal, Sakura (or cherry blossoms) are celebrated to signify the arrival of spring after a long winter. This week, people will rush to viewing spots in the country to marvel at pink, red and white flowers which start budding late January and stretch into May. In 1912, Japan gave 3,000 sakura trees as a gift to the United States to celebrate the nations' friendship. These trees were planted in Washington, D.C., and another 3,800 trees were donated in 1965. As beautiful and exciting as the Hanami festival is, you might not have to go to far away to see cherry blossoms. One photographer promises you can find them in Ranelagh.