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22
Apr
Hundreds turn out for Harrogate's own 'sakura' season
Hundreds of sightseers converged on the Stray over the bank holiday weekend to catch what has become one of Harrogate’s most eagerly anticipated seasonal displays.
The arrival of the cherry blossom has been enjoyed ever since 100 double-flowering cherry trees were planted along two avenues across the Stray to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953.
The blossom with Trinity Methodist church in the background.
But the blossom’s pulling power has grown in recent years, and the four-day weekend saw huge numbers of walkers, picnickers and budding photographers turn out to take in the spectacle.
The growth in the blossom's popularity can be traced, at least in part, to the importance of the flowers, known as sakura, in Japanese culture.
People come from miles around to see the blossom on the Stray.
Jez Willard, who owns The Japanese Shop in Harrogate, told the Stray Ferret:
In Japan, people love the cherry blossom because of its beauty and delicateness. But more importantly, it has a more ethereal meaning.
It only last for a week or two, so it signifies the transient nature of life. It reminds us to take stock of the fact that life is short, and we should take time to appreciate the beauty in things.
The blossom with York Place in the background.
In 2011, Jez Willard and his wife Hiromi, who comes from Japan, organised Harrogate’s first ever hanami – or ‘blossom-viewing’ – picnic to raise funds for the Red Cross Japan Tsunami Disaster Appeal.
It was popular – they raised about £8,000 – and it seems that word has spread ever since.
The Telegraph and Time Out have both named the Stray among their UK top 10 cherry blossom hotspots, and every year, ever more people of all nationalities turn out to stroll down the pink-petalled avenues.
The blossom attracts photographers, both amateur and professional.
But sakura season still has a long way to go in the UK before it attains anything like the importance it enjoys in Japan, where the hanami tradition has a 1,200-year history.
Jez said:
The arrival of the cherry blossom is followed by Japan’s national TV news. They track its appearance from south to north, starting in Okinawa in late January, heading through Honshu, right up to Hokkaido in the north in early May.
The blossom is a big draw for families.
Once the blossom arrives, Japanese families head out en masse to celebrate the occasion well into the evening.
Hanami at night is called yozakura ('night sakura'), and paper lanterns are often hung in the trees to light them up.
Jez said:
In Japan, everybody takes a picnic blanket and eats wonderful food and drinks beer or sake. It’s a real family occasion, and it is by far and away the single biggest photo opportunity of the whole year in Japan. You just can’t underestimate its importance.
Two paths on the Stray are lined with special double-flowering cherry trees.
You can still catch Harrogate's sakura – the blossom is still at its best and is expected to look fantastic for another week or two, depending on the weather.
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