Under The Sakura Tree
Kylee Mccandrew
We've taken inspiration from actual Japanese Izakaya & Sake Bar. The inclusion of Japanese lanterns and rustic wooden signboards depicts a relaxing scene. Drinking sake and enjoying delicious skewers under the sakura tree.
The item is pre-colored, but the package still may include pigment. If included, some parts needs to be color by yourself. We have detailed instructions to tell you where to color. Also, feel free to be as creative as you can by including your own variations to it. Recommend children to assemble under the guidance of adults in case of swallowing. The product requires 2 pieces of AAA batteries (for the lights). Due to customs policy, glue or battery may not be included in the package.
Our DIY Craft Kits comes with everything you need ranging from detailed instruction guide, cutting tools, crafting papers, solid plywood sheets and lights as well. However, we're not able to include batteries (for the lights) and glue due to shipping restrictions. Nonetheless, we do recommend getting a silicon based glue for our craft projects which you can get from a bookstore or art store! If you'd like a specific glue brand, you can choose to use Elmer's All Multi Purpose Glue and Gorilla Super Glue (for a stronger & faster stick)!
It really depends, our book nooks have been designed in a way whereby it takes lesser time because there are no coloring/painting required - the plywood pieces are already colored hence it's more of a gluing and pasting craft activity. It should take roughly 4-6 hours to complete. However, we do have customer who love to take their time and complete it over the weekend with their family members or friends!
We do our best to ensure that all of our DIY Craft Kits are simple and straightforward. We're focusing on providing the best experience to anyone who wants to try out DIY Crafting as a hobby! We do have customers who have never tried crafting before and they're now on their way to building their second, third, fourth kit and so on! It's a very unique and thoughtful gift - truly a great way to remind a family member or a friend to take some time off and indulge in relaxing therapeutic crafting activity!
Most of our DIY Craft Ktis are suitable for children age above 10. However, we do have parents telling us that their 6-8 years old children are having a ton of fun with it too. We guess ultimately, it boils down to how are the kits presented to them - if you're giving them the kit and expecting them to build on their own, we do think that it can be a little bit tough for them to complete it. However, if you're planning to build the kit with them and spend some quality time together, meanwhile engaging their inner tinkering and creativity mode, then we do think it's very possible for them to complete it. We do encourage family to do it together as a bonding activity while taking some time off screens!
Yes, simply reach out to us and our team will sort it out for you! However, please do keep in mind that the process can take some time as it's a specific piece which we will need some time to sort it out before sending it over to you.
The culture of Hanami is specific to Japan with its four seasons, and has a history of over 1,000 years. The aristocracy of the middle ages gave rise to a culture of creating Japanese waka poems based on the theme of cherry blossoms, and this practice was gradually adopted by the general public over the passing of time, resulting in the practice today of picnicking under the cherry trees.
Cherry blossoms bloom but for a brief moment out of the year, and the purpose of Hanami is thus to enjoy this short time as much as possible to welcome the arrival of spring. Further, the cherry blossoms bloom at a time when the air grows warmer and there is little rain, making it pleasant to spend time outdoors.
There are even food stalls at popular Hanami locations where celebrants can purchase sweets, drinks, and snacks. This adds to the appeal of the activity, allowing you to take in the blossoms after purchasing your favorite food and drink.
The word Hanami-zake, a portmanteau of Hanami and Japanese sake, demonstrates the inseparable relationship between Hanami and the favored Japanese rice wine. Sipping sake while enjoying the gentle spring sunlight and the ephemeral beauty of the rows of cherry trees puts one in an otherworldly state of mind. Even if you prefer not to try the sake, you can still enjoy that sense as you eat a delicious boxed lunch under the cherry blossoms as they dance in the wind.
Incidentally, daytime picnics are not the only way to enjoy Hanami. After sunset, the cherry trees are typically lit up, creating a more fantastical atmosphere different again from the daytime mood.
Temperatures still fall sharply at night even though spring has arrived, so don't forget to prepare for the cold. While some Hanami locations feature chairs and tables, we recommend that you bring everything you need for a picnic instead. It is also important to adhere to certain manners in order to properly enjoy Hanami. Specifically, cherry trees have a very short lifespan. Though the flowers are beautiful, snapping off branches to take home with you is strictly forbidden. Also, show your gratitude to the cherry trees and their beautiful blossoms by taking your trash home with you or disposing of it in designated locations.
I often ask Japanese friends which season they like the most, underlining my strong preference for the fall colors season. Their answer, however, almost uniformly, points to Sakura, noting that the first sakura bloom signifies the end of the winter, thus the ending of harsh conditions, and the beginning of the spring, the messenger of hope. I also think that the very short period during which the cherry trees bloom, merely a week, elevates the desirability of this already seductively beautiful flower.
The best time to see the Sakura in major cities in Japan like Tokyo and Kyoto is usually the end of March, but the exact dates vary each year based on the yearly temperature fluctation. There are many sites periodically updating their Sakura forecast. The first forecasts are usually published around January. Since I moved to Japan in 2019, the sakura season seems to be happening a little earlier each year.
The Sakura forecast published by Kishou is the most reliable one. According to the most recent 2024 cherry blossom forecast published on 28 March 2024, the flowers will start blooming in Tokyo around March 29th and will reach the peak by April 1st. As for Kyoto, the first bloom date is currently forecasted as March 29th with the peak bloom expected around April 3rd.
There are, however, many different kinds of sakura flowers, and one specific kind, known as kawazu sakura, blooms as early as February each year. Kawazu town, located in Izu Peninsula, which can be easily accessed from Tokyo in 1-2 hours, is a perfect place for an early Sakura outing.
The entire season lasts from February (Okinawa, the southernmost part of Japan, is the first region to experience Sakura) through May, with Hokkaido being the last island to welcome the cherry blossoms. So, if you have time and flexibility to move around, you can always find a place to experience the Sakura during the spring season that runs from February till late May.
Tokyo, where I live, is home to many beautiful parks, each hosting hundreds of cherry trees. Being the most populated city in Japan and one of the main destinations for international visitors, many parks, like beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen, get very crowded during the Sakura season.
Ueno Park, Meguro River, Yoyogi Park are all very popular cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo. But if you are looking for a more intimate Sakura viewing experience, allow me introduce you to two parks that are lesser known to the visitors, offering a perfect local atmosphere and substantially less crowds during the Sakura season.
I live in Eastern Tokyo, home to the largest public park in Tokyo; I prefer to enjoy the Sakura season in the relative calmness of Mizumoto Park and Shinozaki Park, both located in Katsushika, one of the largest districts of Tokyo separated from Chiba by the lovely Edo River.
Both parks located in the Eastern part of the city, and easily accessible from Asakusa allow one to immerse in the beauty of the flowers with substantially less crowds and in an entirely local atmosphere.
Mizumoto Park is very large. So I often ride my bike to the park, rather than taking the bus, to be able to cover each hidden corner and check out almost every cherry tree. Mizumoto gets its share of local crowds during the Sakura season but, thanks to its size, never feels as crowded as the parks of central Tokyo.
I recommend spending at least a half day in the park. Bringing your own picnic is the better option, but there are also a couple of cafes spread around the park serving drinks and simple foods such as soba. There are comfortable wooden picnic tables in certain sections of the park, but sitting on the grass, the more popular way of doing hanami, is also perfectly acceptable.
Even though the scenery in Mizumoto Park, where you can almost forget that you are in a city, is more mesmerizing, Shinozaki Park is still inviting enough for me thanks to its compactness and the massive cherry trees that it is home to. Again, this is an open park where you do not have to pay any entrance fee.
One of the quickest ways to access Shinozaki Park from central Tokyo is to get on the Chuo-Sobu JR Line and get off the train at Koiwa Station. From Koiwa Station, you can get on the bus number 72. If you choose to walk, it only takes 30 minutes, and along your walk, you will get to experience a very down-to-earth side of Tokyo that feels a million miles away from the busier parts of the city.
If you like hiking, you are in luck. Mountains cover 70% of Japan`s land, and host thousands of trails fit for both beginner and advanced hikers, these are some of the hikes in Japan easily accessible with public transportation.
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