While hunting for emotional experiences on your walks around Rome, stop and admire the wonder of Hanami, the blossoming of the cherry trees.
The term Hanami originates with the Japanese culture, and indicates the enjoyment of the flowering of the trees and the change of the seasons, and therefore the arrival of spring. The rest happens by itself: contemplation and sharing.
The Sakura, or cherry trees, in particular, are celebrated in Japanese traditional culture for the properties of germination attributed to these wonderful, softly-coloured plants, allowing for a rediscovery of noble virtues such as courage, loyalty and purity.
Between March 20 and mid-April, if you happen to be in Rome, you can satisfy your senses by strolling in the shade of cherry blossoms in a part of the Eternal City, the Laghetto dell’Eur, which seems to be transformed into a remote corner of the mystic Orient.
It’s like a real Zen garden, with enchanting scenery, alternating colours and scents, the lake in the background, dotted with canoes, and a green expanse where you can glimpse people picnicking and walking along the avenues that wind beneath the spectacle of blossoming trees. Steeping yourself in nature, you can admire the fabulous water features and waterfalls from the recently reopened Hashi pedestrian bridge.
You can also find lovely cherry blossoms at the fascinating Botanical Gardens and the Japanese Cultural Institute gardens.
In the Japanese Garden within the Botanical Gardens, again in 2019, the Botanical Garden Museum of the Sapienza University of Rome and the Japanese Cultural Institute in Rome are organizing three days, from April 12 to 14, dedicated to cherry blossoms, guided tours, origami workshops for children, tea ceremonies and exhibitions of Kakejiku and Ikebana.
From the veranda of the Japanese Cultural Institute you can admire the small but evocative garden, the first of its kind in Italy. The design by landscape architect Ken Nakajiama is in the sen’en style, widespread in Japan during the 1500s – 1600s. The rocky waterfall, the pond where carp swim, the islets, the little bridge and the stone lantern are along traditional lines, as are the cherry trees with spectacular blossoms, and wisteria, iris and dwarf pines, but also Mediterranean olive trees.