Daily Times

In Japan, blooming cherry trees are more than just a spring ritual. The cherry blossom symbolizes the bond between man and nature. People celebrate the pink abundance with picnics under cherry trees and trips to places with the best view of the blooming flora – after first consulting special forecast maps with information about peak blossom times.

This integral part of Japanese culture is based on the philosophy of “mono no aware” – an appreciation of impermanence.

The blooms last for about 10 days, a period that is also eagerly awaited in Germany.

“Among the branches of the cherry trees in bloom, no one is a stranger here,” reads a small bronze plaque on a memorial stone in former East Berlin. At the site of the so-called “death strip” that ran parallel to the Berlin Wall to discourage escape attempts, Japanese citizens initiated and collected donations to plant a thousand cherry trees. The project celebrated the unification of East and West Germany in the early 1990s.

Since 1996, this long avenue of Japanese cherry trees has been known as Japaneck (Japanese Corner).

Supported by the TV Asahi Network, the trees were planted by the Japanese Sakura Organizing Committee, with the memorial stone marking the significance of a touching gesture. There, too, the Japanese ritual of the cherry blossom festival signals the arrival of spring as people gather at Japaneck for a picnic under the blossoming cherry tree branches. Locals gather with Japanese and international visitors alike to enjoy the iconic spring celebration together. The trees with the iconic pink and white blossoms can be found not only in Berlin, but across Germany.