In Japan there is the tradition of cherry blossom viewing called hanami 花見. Where people gather beneath ample cherry blossom trees to appreciate the flowers’ fleeting beauty. In April 2022 Aid For Japan hosted such an event at Greenwich Park.
It was a lovely day, and we were lucky as the weather held out for us! The cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, so that everyone could enjoy and appreciate them. People brought along sushi, homemade Japanese food, such as dashi-maki tamago (egg rolls), onigiri (rice balls), and pink cake to match the cherry blossom.
Serendipitously, The National Trust were making a podcast about “blossom appreciation” and so their producer joined us to record at our hanami event. Fresh sushi was donated by the kind restaurant owner of Yuma Sushi. And a bottle of good quality saké was provided by a saké sommelier.
Our hanami picnic gave our charity members and supporters the opportunity to meet in person after such a long absence. We discovered old friends and new and were glad to spend time together in the beautiful setting of one of London’s Royal Parks.
