Hanami, the Japanese word to say “admiring the flowers”, is the name of a springtime celebration dedicated to the observation of flowering trees, especially Sakura (cherry) trees.
The ceremony of blossoming cherry trees has a reference point in Rome too, in the Eur neighborhood. The walkway that crosses the Eur central lake park is called Passeggiata del Giappone – Japan promenade – in honor of the Japanese prime minister Nobusuke Kishi who in 1959 donated 2500 Sakura trees to the city that hosted him, many of which were planted in the park. Along the shared use walking/cycling path, there is a fragile and clear floral outburst: between mid-March and April, the Japanese people of Rome celebrate the Hanami with their traditional picnic, and even the native citizens cannot resist a walk in the blooming park.
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