Tama River Cherry Blossoms, 1856

Tamagawa-zutsumi no hana. Blossoms on the Tama River embankment. Print shows sightseers viewing cherry blossoms along the banks of the Tama River at Edo. A cherry blossom (commonly known in Japan as sakura) is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese cherry, Prunus serrulata. In Japan, cherry blossoms symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, an aspect of Japanese cultural tradition that is often associated with Buddhist influence, and which is embodied in the concept of mono no aware. The association of the cherry blossom with mono no aware dates back to 18th century scholar Motoori Norinaga. The transience of the blossoms, the exquisite beauty and volatility, has often been associated with mortality and graceful and readily acceptance of destiny and karma; for this reason, cherry blossoms are richly symbolic, and have been utilized often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film. Along with the chrysanthemum, the cherry blossom is considered the national flower of Japan. Utagawa Hiroshige, 1856

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1856 Ando Aware Cherry Destiny Exquisite Hiroshige Impermanence Jedo Karma Mono Mortality Prunus Sakura Serrulata Sightseers Symbolical Symbolism Tama Transience Ukiyo-e Utagawa Volatility Wabi-sabi Woodblock Yeddo Yedo

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