Discovering the secret places of the Capital: cherry trees in bloom, the magic of hanami in Rome.
We propose again this beautiful article from Roma Capitale, even in Rome these days you can admire the blossoming of sakura, the Japanese ornamental cherry trees, and participate in the appointment with hanami, a term which means “contemplate the flowers”. An anniversary deeply felt by the population who celebrate it with pick-nicks in the shade of the beautiful blooms.
A happy day to spend with friends lying on the typical blue plastic sheet, enjoying the good food contained in bentos, the compartmentalized lunch boxes that are so popular here too.
The cherry garden around the Eur lake is one of the most popular places to admire the suggestive blooms. A cloud between pure white and pale pink around the water basin.
Here there are over 2000 cherry trees planted near the Japan Walk, an avenue established in 1959 following a visit by the Japanese Prime Minister.
This spectacular botanical event falls between March and April, depending on weather conditions. In Rome the appointment with flowering is also at the Botanical Garden of La Sapienza University, in the garden of the Institute of Japanese Culture. And also in some streets such as via Panama, formerly via del Japan, which houses rows of cherry trees donated, it seems, by Emperor Hiroito during a visit in the 1920s.
In the heart of Rome, the Botanical Garden of La Sapienza University is a suggestive place to admire flowering. It houses a traditional Japanese Garden designed by architect Ken Nakajima, one of the greatest diffusers of Japanese culture and landscape art. It can be reached by going up the slope to below the Janiculum. In the center a small pagoda is the point from which to admire the view and the sakura. Appointment on April 20th and 21st with «Hanami at the Botanical Garden».
In Japan hanami has several meanings. The enchanting but ephemeral beauty of flowering recalls the transience of existence, inviting you to live every moment fully. But the abundant spring flowering is also interpreted as the good omen of a favorable season and rebirth both for nature and, symbolically, for our activities.
A centuries-old tradition reserved for the imperial court and the samurai which today is everyone’s heritage. In the archipelago, a specific weather report is dedicated to hanami to allow you to decide in which region and on which days to go to “admire the flowers”. The sakura, like Mount Fuji, have taken on an iconic value and have become representative of the country so much so that they appear on coins and banknotes. There are around a hundred varieties, with blooms ranging from white to intense pink.
The garden of the Japanese Cultural Institute in via Gramsci is a small oriental garden with a pond. A place of peace and contemplation of nature with representative plants of the country including cherry trees, maples and dwarf pines.
Built based on a design by the well-known landscape architect Nakajima, it is located on land granted by the Municipality of Rome. On its website the Institute informs visitors that the cherry blossoms usually begin at the beginning of April and have a variable duration of about a couple of weeks; visits are free with reservations required.
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