北國に咲く・To Bloom in the North Country (Along the Cherry Blossom Trail)

“Hanami” is the tradition in Japan of celebrating the arrival of Spring with food and drink under the cherry blossoms. The first mentions of this practice date back to the year 812 in the Imperial Court of Nara. The cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan and it represents the impermanence of life and the cycle of the seasons and fragile beauty of nature.

In the North the snow is deep and the winters long, so when Spring finally comes it brings great joy for the people. Over the past four years I have visited the region frequently, and witnessed moments of contemplation, sadness, and perhaps loneliness, too. The recovery from the tragic events of 2011 remains slow, as the population continues to decline when many young people move to the big city for better job prospects, leaving the elderly behind. Despite these challenges the arrival of Spring still brings hope and warm smiles to the faces of these hardy people. This project is dedicated to them and to their future.