It’s Spring Equinox, a Sunday, so those in Japan have Monday as a public holiday.

I have never lived anywhere that celebrates a change in season in quite the same way as the people of Japan. It’s more than just the days growing longer and the nights shrinking.

Each season brings different food.

They are people that while they could pay more and eat out of season products, they prefer to enjoy seasonal eating and I can really taste why.

Since previously living in a country that predominantly imports food, I had been eating all types of foods throughout the year with no regard as to what season it was (it was mostly just hot except in winter, then it was just damp and cold) and where it was coming from (as long as it wasn’t China as most foreigners in HK are a little unsure about eating Chinese products due to knowing that many certifications can be bought rather than earned. Also the pesticides). I generally tried to eat food that was grown near to HK so I could have lower carbon emissions through lower transport but that wasn’t always possible.

What it meant though was while my fruit and vegetables may have had the outward appearance of those of my childhood, the inside was often lacking in colour, juiciness and / or flavour. That said, over time, this is just accepted as to how food is meant to taste and an inkling that perhaps the food of my youth was remembered with nostalgic rose flavoured taste-buds.

Since eating my first Japanese strawberry the other day, I can now confirm that this is not the case. I have tasted real fruit again and I’m not sure if I can go back.

I have also eaten quite a few tomatoes.

I’m eating them raw, straight up. Nothing added or taken away.

I can now see why the raw food movement has arisen.

For those in Japan though, no movement is required. They just have a genuine appreciation of eating seasonal food, eating in moderation and presenting it in such stunning ways that I hesitate to eat it in the first place. Until the smell wafts up my nostrils and my stomach rumbles to let me know that it’s waiting for me to pick up my chopsticks and get started before it breaks through my skin and somehow sucks it in through some bizarre gravitational pull, similar to how a black hole works.

As the season changes, people also give their houses / apartments a deep clean and alter their interior design to reflect the new season. This includes changing the bedsheets to reflect the new season. Such a novelty for me since I’m only familiar with summer and winter sheets. Who knew there were other seasons for sheets?

There’s also the celebrations that mark each season. This is my first one so it will be fun to see what is to come.

Moving from the cold of winter to the warm spring coincides with sakura season aka cherry blossom time! It also means it’s time for picnics which happens to be one of my all time favourite activities. The Japanese people have combined this into a fabulous activity called “hanami” which is essentially a picnic under the cherry blossoms. This is a centuries-old tradition to celebrate the transient nature of life. And to drink sake. Or tea. But mostly sake.

People reserve their spots underneath the blossoms early in the day and there’s quite an etiquette to it all. It is important that someone stays with the sheet / picnic rug at all times otherwise it may not count as reserved. At Ueno Park, they have sectioned areas with signage saying they can only seat a maximum of ten people. Many companies have hanami parties and their graduates are sent out to mind the spot for the day. Not a bad way to spend the day though the bathroom situation could be a little tricky.

Department stores prepare special hanami bento boxes which include specific foods to mark the beginning of spring. They are in the colours of the season and each food represents something in particular. They are intricately designed and immaculately presented. Even more so than the usual bento boxes.

The trick is to know when the sakura will bloom.

It just so happens, they have that covered too though it’s pretty difficult to accurately predict until about 10 days before peak bloom (70% of blooms open throughout the area).

There’s five distinct phases of bud development which are monitored and used to forecast. It’s taken incredibly seriously. Weather obviously has a big impact too with the earlier warmer weather bringing the timing forward. If it rains, petals fall early and the season is short. These are temperamental flowers!

According to this dynamic guide, looks like I’ll have a couple of days of full bloom before I head on my holiday. I will time this better next year!

I’ve never been so excited to have flowers opening in my entire life and there is a definite buzz in the air from my colleagues. They are counting down the days and I’ve been drawn into the excitement!

* Thanks to Crisco Castelli for the title to this post.