April 11, 2009
“Hana-ikada” or flower raft
The month of April is the start of the national fiscal year, the corporate business year and the school year in Japan. Government and other public offices, schools and private companies receive their new faces in a joyful mood.
This coincides with the cherry blossom viewing season in many parts of Japan.
But toward the middle of April, people get back to normal jobs as cherry trees begin to scatter the blossoms to have green leaves.
Cherry trees lining the banks of a river that flows through a small hot spring town in western Japan started leaving their blossoms in the first week of April. The fallen blossoms are received by the river water beneath.
Poets once described cherry blossoms densely scattered on the surface of the river water as “hana-ikada.” Hana means flower, usually cherry blossoms in ancient waka poems, and ikada means a raft.
A waka poem made by Ariwara Narihira, an emperor’s grandson who lived in the ninth century and one of the six most famous poets at his age, goes:
I have not heard things like this happened
even in the age of the gods,
when many mysterious things are said to have occurred.
I see water in Tatsutagawa River beautifully decorated with deep red maple leaves.
(A personal translation)
This poem depicts a scenic autumnal view with maple leaves floating on the river water, which may be “flower rafts.” Ancient poets are also believed to have been attracted by the beauty of fallen cherry blossoms covering the river surface.
A waka poem made by Ariwara Narihira, an emperor’s grandson who lived in the ninth century and one of the six most famous poets at his age, goes:
I have not heard things like this happened
even in the age of the gods,
when many mysterious things are said to have occurred.
I see water in Tatsutagawa River beautifully decorated with deep red maple leaves.
(A personal translation)
This poem depicts a scenic autumnal view with maple leaves floating on the river water, which may be “flower rafts.” Ancient poets are also believed to have been attracted by the beauty of fallen cherry blossoms covering the river surface.
Rafts of white and slightly pink cherry blossoms slowly float down the stream. The cherry blossom rafts look unstable this year as the economy is in bad shape amid the global financial crisis.
An author’s note: Classical waka poems, which have fixed numbers of syllables, are categorized into three groups—“tanka” or short poems, “chooka” or long poems and a third, less popular style called “sedooka.” Waka poems started around the seventh century and culminated in the early 13th century.
An author’s note: Classical waka poems, which have fixed numbers of syllables, are categorized into three groups—“tanka” or short poems, “chooka” or long poems and a third, less popular style called “sedooka.” Waka poems started around the seventh century and culminated in the early 13th century.
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