Can you just smell these cherry blossoms?'

[Bible Speaks]

Can you just smell these cherry blossoms?'

Woven into the fabric of Japanese history and culture is the recurring theme of the sakura. Its motifs abound in literature, poetry, theater, and music. Throughout the centuries, artists have captured the splendor of the cherry blossoms on surfaces ranging from pottery to folding screens.

The samurai also adopted sakura. Being completely devoted to their master, they were expected to offer up their life at a moment’s notice. The samurai saw in cherry blossoms a symbol of the brevity of life. Concerning this the Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan comments: “Since the cherry flowers bloom very briefly and then scatter, they have also become a convenient symbol of the Japanese aesthetic sense, an ephemeral beauty.”

The national admiration of the sakura continues until today. The lovely kimono often has the pattern of cherry blossoms. The sakura design can also be found on household items, scarves, and clothing. So dearly loved is this flower that parents will even proudly name their beautiful baby girls Sakura, in honor of the cherry blossom.

Fragile in form and yet powerful enough to influence the culture of a nation, the cherry blossom is an outstanding example of the subtle beauty found among our Creator’s masterful works. 

Thank you Jehovah God they are so beautiful! Can you not hear the sounds of birds as they sing joyful songs from blossom to blossom?