ポッドキャストをお聞きの皆さん、こんにちは。３分日本語のお時間です。

Hello, podcast listeners. Welcome back to 3-minute Japanese.

今回のテーマは桜です。数回にわたって、桜についてお送りしていきます。

In today’s episode, we will talk about Sakura and stay with the topic in the next few episodes.

春ですね。本日ニューヨーク時間４月１７日の午後です。東京の桜は満開を超えて、散ってしまった桜の花びらが道全体に広がっている頃ではないでしょうか。ニューヨークは肌寒い日々と夏並みの気温を上下しています。

Spring has sprung. Sakura may have already peaked in Tokyo by now. I can picture petals falling from the trees and making a huge pale pink carpet on the ground. The temperature here in New York has been bipolar. We have a couple of days of summer-like weather, and chilly days right after.

日本の春といえば、桜です。桜は古来から国民に親しまれており、８、９世紀の平安時代までさかのぼります。当時の詩人や貴族は桜にまつわる多くの和歌や俳句をこの世に残しました。桜は日本文化にとって欠かせないものであり、何世紀にもわたって日本国民の心を掴み続けています。

Sakura has become the national flower in Japan and has been enjoyed by the people. It dates back to 8th or 9th century during the Heian period. Poets and aristocrats at the time wrote extensively about its beauty and short-lived nature. Cherry blossoms have played important roles in Japanese cultures and resonated with the people for centuries.

Sakura is a symbol of change. Its blooming season coincides with the nation’s new fiscal year. School year also ends and begins around the same time. It depends on the year, but typically, you see some petals peeking from their buds around graduation, and get caught in the showers of cherry blossoms at entrance ceremony.

桜は変化の象徴です。桜の開花時期は新年度と重なります。また、学年が変わる時期もこの頃です。その年によりますが、卒業式には桜の蕾がちらほら開き、入学式の頃には満開を迎え桜吹雪が舞うという光景です。

桜といえば、お花見です。年の変われ目ということもあり、送別会や歓迎会も兼ねてのお花見が多い時期です。日本では路上飲酒が合法であることもあり、ピクニックシートでほろ酔いまたはかなり出来上がっている大学生や会社員を見かけます。

Have you heard of the word Hanami or Ohanami? It literally means flower-viewing. People go on a picnic under the blossoming trees. Because it is the end and beginning of a fiscal year, farewell and welcoming parties are held in a form of Hanami. During this season, you see college students and professionals being tipsy or sauced up on a picnic blanket. By the way, street-drinking is legal in Japan.

That’s it for now. In the next episode, I would like to talk about Sakura from aesthetic and philosophical aspects. Stay tuned.

今回はここまでです。次回は美意識や哲学的な面から桜についてお話ししていきたいと思います。お楽しみに。