Cherry blossom season is here. Viewing the delicate flower is a seasonal excuse in Japan for friends, family and colleagues to get together and enjoy food and beers underneath the full bloom of sakura.
Take a virtual tour of hanami [1][花見], or the activity of flower viewing, via the following collection of Creative Commons [2]-licensed photos:
[3]Walking underneath the full bloom of sakura can feel like walking through a floral tunnel. Photo taken April 5, 2014 by Flickr user coniferconifer. CC BY 2.0
[4]Cherry blossoms at Chidorigafuchi park near Kudanshita station in Tokyo. Photo by Manish Prabhune. The complete photo essay with travel directions can be found at website JapanTravel [4]. CC Attribution License
[5]People eat underneath the cherry blossoms. Photo taken in Yawata, Kyoto on April 1, 2014 by Flickr user Japanexperterna [6]. CC BY-SA 2.0
[7]A cherry petal accidentally fell into a drink. Photo taken April 5, 2014 by Shogo Nozaki. CC BY-NC 2.0
[8]People lay out a tarp at Akashi Castle park. Photo taken April 3, 2014 by Flickr user Manuel Cansaya Jauregi. CC BY-SA 2.0
[9]People sleep on a tarp. It's common to see people napping under the cherry blossoms after so much drinking. Photo taken April 3, 2014 by Flickr user James Hadfield. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
[10]A dog enjoys the outdoors. Taking your puppy to a park where cherry blossoms are in bloom will make for great photo ops. Photo taken April 6, 2014 at National Show Memorial Park by Flickr user luckyno3. CC BY-NC 2.0
[11]Flickr user y.ganden spotted a Japanese Bush Warbler in the blooming sakura trees. CC BY-NC 2.0
[12]Strong winds and spring showers down cherry blossom petals. Photo taken by Flickr user coniferconifer. CC BY 2.0
[13]A path is covered in cherry blossom petals. Photo by flickr user y.ganden. CC BY-NC 2.0