Ashes of Beauty and Weekend Sex Friends
If you want scenic images of the ideal hanami, or cherry blossom viewing party, see Danny Choo’s experience or Rachael’s experience. I mentioned my thoughts earlier in a cruel, imageless post but as a follow up, I’ll describe my experience in a northern rural setting.
Not my hanami…there are more people in this picture than in my town.
A few things you should know about being north of Sendai, aka the last bastion of civilization until Sapporo1:
- We get our cherry blossoms later than everyone else. That means by the time we actually get them, the bulk of Japan has a “been there, seen that” kind of attitude. Only the old people with free time and money to burn come up north to
stalkfollow the sweep up north.2 - The time of the cherry blossoms is also the time of the all day rains and gusty winds. Last year, our hanami was held in doors because it was too windy to have outside. This year, it rained the day before and the day after our hanami party, which was outside. Everyone said we got lucky this year.
- There are actually many parks and castles in which to see cherry blossoms…they are just really far away from me and now that the school year is in full swing, I have less time to get out and travel. The closest one is 2 hours away by bus but if I want to see stunning, awesome, amazing cherry blossoms, that’s about 6 hours away by bus, train, and whatever else I have to take there. Possibly a ride from giant flying turtle.
So what’s up with the title of this post?
This year, our group hanami party was held outside! This is amazing, as wind and rain are the predominant weather at this time. Everyone was excited and running around to get the food prepared and set up…in the parking lot behind our building. Not exactly the lush, grassy area to set your little blue tarp down before the beer arrives but there are cherry trees back there. Surviving, somehow. Maybe on the failure of high school students who cut across that area daily.
Ahh, the beautiful flowers. Beer?
From what I’ve observed prior to this, as well as this year, the structure of a hanami is really simple: look at the cherry blossoms for 5 seconds, eat and drink for 3+ hours. And that’s exactly what we did. Kind of blows the romance out of the water, right? I believe very much that a hanami is more of a “drink until it’s beautiful” ordeal. Or at least, they all drank until I became beautiful because I kept getting offers to have my futon shared.3
To keep this short, I’ll summarize the progression of conversation. All names have been changed and all the details have been left out because as strange as they are when they’re drunk, they’re still cool guys.
- Look at the cherry blossoms. Aren’t they beautiful?
- Hey, sports! Who loves sports?
- We’re lucky to have this outside. It’s generally too windy, you know.
- TV! Yeah! Underling, come do the beer rounds!
- Movies are good too. More beer?
- If I grab my crotch thusly, what do I look like?
- Ahh…young love. Love at first sight. It was great. Beer?
- If you blow ashes on someone, they get handsome. Beer?
- Mr. Tanaka wants to share your futon, Caitlin. Beer?
- Mr. Honda is the biggest pervert. Do you understand this word, pervert?
- Oh, man, I suck at this game. I hate this game. Let’s play a different game.
- Mr. Suzuki’s has a weekend sex friend. (Mr. Suzuki: No, I don’t!!!)
- Out of beer? Bring on the wine!
- Mr. Sato’s going home with you, Caitlin. One futon.
This was my hanami this year. I wish I had a transcript of the actual conversations because it was hilarious. It just might top the phallus hoisters party I once saw at a Shinto shrine.
Taken at Hirosaki in Aomori…it’s like Pepto-Bismal is eating the bridge
And yeah…I found having a hanami in a parking lot with only a few cherry blossom trees around a lot more fun than the massive flock to a prime cherry blossom viewing location. But I hate large crowds anyway.
- I joke, of course, because I love my town, but the Tokyo kids who come here can’t believe people still live like this…spoiled brats [↩]
- Maybe there are some young people too but why do I see bus loads of hanami stalking seniors at all the rest stops now? [↩]
- No thanks. [↩]
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Comments
@Rachael: I also like the moat picture. I would have liked to get closer to the bridge but I wasn’t about to rent a little row boat. Plus, the place was packed and getting any good pictures involved more pushing and shoving than usual.
@Ryan: No hanami in FL? Do cherry trees not grow down there or is it simply just not done?
LOL! Fortunately or not there was no dubious alcohol induced banter in our hanami, though we were sandwiched in a humongous crowd and still made a hell lot of noise to the pain of everyone else around us. Funny how you come to see the sakura, but pay little attention to them in the end.
I know it’s not funny to be solicited for “favors”, but I think I giggled a little. I love the moat pic! That’s so peaceful looking.