Page 203 - Easy Japanese - Learn to Speak Japanese Quickly! (TUTTLE)

drinking, taking pictures and sharing them to their social media platforms, than
appreciating the flowers, just as the old saying of Hana yori Dango 花より団子
(Rice cake over flowers—practicality over aesthetics) describes. Many parks are
filled with such parties all day and well into night. Go early to reserve a good
spot in popular hanami locations like the Shinjuku Gyoen and Ueno Park.
Every year, the Japanese Meteorological Agency tracks the “cherry blossom
front” (sakura zensen 桜前線) as it moves northward along with the warmer

weather. They provide daily updates as part of the weather forecast. People—not
just locals but also international travelers—follow these closely and plan flower
viewing parties (and their travels) to coincide with when the blossoms are at
their peak.

CULTURAL NOTE Japanese Calendar and Birthday
Celebrations

There are two systems of naming years in Japan. In addition to the western
calendar (seireki 西暦), Japan uses its own calendar (gengō 元号, wareki 和暦).
The latter is often used in official documents. The Japanese year designations are
based on the year of the reign of the emperors. When one emperor dies and a

new emperor ascends to the throne, a new period or era starts. The first year of a