SINGAPORE – Agoda.com, one of Asia’s
leading hotel booking sites and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group
(Nasdaq:PCLN), is offering great hotel deals to celebrate Japan’s famed sakura
season – known commonly outside of Japan as the cherry blossom season – one of
the country’s most popular and beautiful annual events.
The
cherry tree – its scientific name is Prunus
serrulata – can be seen throughout Japan in great numbers that for most of
the year sit silently in the background. Come spring, the trees erupt with
blossoms in a wave that moves slowly from the southern district of Okinawa to
the northern island of Hokkaido, creating lush pink, white, and red canopies in
parks and along streets throughout the country. In addition to being extremely
beautiful, the blossoms are highly symbolic of life, death, unity, and the
pursuit of perfection, all significant elements in Japanese culture.
Predicting
the date of the blossom arrival is somewhat of a sport and guessing game in
Japan. This year the Japanese weather
service has said the best viewing areas will be in Fukuoka during the last week
of March, moving slowly north and finishing up near Iwaki, about 200km north of
Tokyo in early April. They can be seen further north than this, but the colder
weather makes their appearance less predictable.
When
the blossoms arrive, crowds of people gather in favorite spots to take photos,
stroll among the colors, and partake in hanami,
a centuries-old custom of picnicking in the shade of a tree in full bloom.
Photo shoots for weddings are a common sight, and couples dressed in traditional
kimonos mingle with suit-and-tie businessmen as they relax after a long day in
the office.
To help celebrate the beauty of the sakura
season, Agoda.com is providing great deals on hotels in some of Japan’s top
sakura destinations. Click here
to see the full list, and start planning your sakura vacation!
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