Festivals

There can be absolutely no doubt that in Japan, the month of April is very much the month the cherry blossom tree. However, as quickly as it has come, the season has gone. Time has taken its toll on the delicate sakura, and the wind and rain of spring have shaken the petals from the trees. But in Aichi, this does not mean that the season for ‘hanami’ [flower viewing] is over and done with. No, far from it. Because, though the whites and pinks of the sakura have long gone by late April, it is soon replaced in the hearts of the Japanese by pinks and purples of ‘fuji’. And no, not the mountain, I am of course talking about wisteria. Symbolizing immortality and longevity, with its fragrant perfume and long vines, wisteria is one of the most beloved spring flowers in Japan and has long been a muse to poets and artists, inspiring one of the most famous Kabuki dances “Fuji Musume” [The Maiden Wisteria]. The flower gained even greater importance during the Heian period (794-1192 AD), when it was adopted as the family symbol of the Fujiwara clan, one of the four great ruling families of the…