Supporting my fav seniors #18 Cherry blossoms and productivity

In Japan, spring is the time to appreciate and enjoy cherry blossoms in full bloom.

For centuries, cherry trees have been planted in various places, from roadsides and parks to shrines, schools, and government offices.

Some people would look up at budding cherry blossoms, looking forward to the spring while shivering in the cold.

Others would identify themselves with blooming cherry blossoms, feeling excited as they start a new chapter in their lives.

Still others shed tears filled with emotion, finding beauty and fragility in the falling cherry blossom petals.

Cherry blossoms are so close to our lives that no one in Japan wonders why news programs feature cherry blossom forecasts.

To celebrate and appreciate this beautiful gift of nature, many local communities organize cherry festivals.

These events are quite simple: People would just stroll under cherry trees while eating food they brought from home or purchased from stalls run by local groups and street vendors.

Some events may invite celebrities or organize shows, such as dancing and music performances by local groups. But the main feature of the festivals is to appreciate the cherry blossoms.

For some mysterious reason, cherry blossoms bring strangers together. People would look up at the blossoms, and when their eyes meet someone next to them, they would start a conversation like, “It’s really beautiful, isn’t it?”

Everyone is smiling under the cherry trees. Even an old man, who always stays at home, would come out and enjoy the view with a can of beer in his hand.

What we see there is a gentle sense of unity, such as sharing joy with others by giving tips on beautiful photo spots.

Creating a place to belong can be as casual as this.

Being productive and sharing something with others can be as simple as this.

This spring, cherry blossoms made me think what it means to create casual places to belong and how we can create productive lives.

Now that the flower petals have fallen, let’s see what else we can find as seeds of productivity.

Shino Sawaoka

Associate Professor,

Dept. of Health Management,

Tokai University

jzt1864@tokai.ac.jp

https://www.tokai-kenko.ac/

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