the palmer drought index , sometimes called the palmer drought severity index and often abbreviated pdsi , is a measurement of dryness based on recent precipitation and temperature .

it was developed by meteorologist wayne palmer , who first published his method in the 1965 paper meteorological drought for the office of climatology of the u.s. weather bureau .

the palmer drought index is based on a supply-and-demand model of soil moisture .

supply is comparatively straightforward to calculate , but demand is more complicated as it depends on many factors , not just temperature and the amount of moisture in the soil but also hard-to-calibrate factors including evapotranspiration and recharge rates .

palmer tried to overcome these difficulties by developing an algorithm that approximated them based on the most readily available data , precipitation and temperature .

the index has proven most effective in determining long-term drought , a matter of several months , but it is not as good with conditions over a matter of weeks .

it uses a 0 as normal , and drought is shown in terms of negative numbers ; for example , negative 2 is moderate drought , negative 3 is severe drought , and negative 4 is extreme drought .

palmer 's algorithm also is used to describe wet spells , using corresponding positive numbers .

palmer also developed a formula for standardizing drought calculations for each individual location based on the variability of precipitation and temperature at that location .

the palmer index can therefore be applied to any site for which sufficient precipitation and temperature data is available .

critics have complained that the utility of the palmer index is weakened by the arbitrary nature of palmer 's algorithms , including the technique used for standardization .

the palmer index 's inability to account for snow and frozen ground also is cited as a weakness .

the palmer index is widely used operationally , with palmer maps published weekly by the united states government 's national oceanic and atmospheric administration .

it also has been used by climatologists to standardize global long-term drought analysis .

global palmer data sets have been developed based on instrumental records beginning in the 19th century .

in addition , dendrochronology has been used to generate estimated palmer index values for north america for the past 2000 years , allowing analysis of long term drought trends .

it has also been used as a means of explaining the late bronze age collapse .

in the us , regional palmer maps are featured on the cable channel weatherscan .

palmer drought index

percent area of contiguous u . s . in palmer drought index moderate to extreme
monthly maps of drought conditions in the contiguous u . s . as measured by the palmer drought severity index , palmer hydrological drought index , palmer modified drought index , and palmer z - index ( palmer , 1965 ) are provided for january 1900—june 2018 . animations of any set of monthly maps for any period desired can be viewed by selecting the beginning and ending dates of interest .
wells , nathan , steve goddard , michael j . hayes , 2004 : a self - calibrating palmer drought severity index . j . climate , 17 , 2335–2351
the palmer drought severity index ( pdsi ) and crop moisture index ( cmi ) are indices of the relative dryness or wetness affecting water sensitive economies . the data is provided in graphical and tabular formats , for the contiguous united states .
to quantify drought and monitor its development , many drought indices have been developed and applied . among them , the palmer drought severity index ( pdsi ) is the most prominent index of meteorological drought used in the united states for drought monitoring and research , and its variants have been used to quantify long - term changes in aridity over land in the 20
alley , w . m . , 1984 : the palmer drought severity index : limitations and assumptions . j . climate appl . meteor . 23 , 1000 - 1009
dai , a . , 2011a : characteristics and trends in various forms of the palmer drought severity index ( pdsi ) during 1900 - 2008 . j . geophys . res . , 116 , d12115
dai , aiguo & national center for atmospheric research staff ( eds ) . last modified 12 jul 2017 .
the climate data guide : palmer drought severity index ( pdsi ) .
retrieved from urltoken
palmer , w . c . , 1968 : keeping track of crop moisture conditions , nationwide : the new crop moisture index . weatherwise , 21 , 156 - 161 .
dai , a . , k . e . trenberth , and t . qian , 2004 : a global data set of palmer drought severity index for 1870 - 2002 : relationship with soil moisture and effects of surface warming . j . hydrometeorology , 5 , 1117 - 1130
palmer , w . c , 1965 : meteorological drought . res . paper no . 45 , 58pp . , dept . of commerce , washington , d . c .
the palmer drought severity index ( pdsi ) uses readily available temperature and precipitation data to estimate relative dryness . it is a standardized index that spans - 10 ( dry ) to + 10 ( wet ) . it has been reasonably successful at quantifying long - term drought . as it uses temperature data and a physical water balance model , it can capture the basic effect of global warming on drought through changes in potential evapotranspiration . monthly pdsi values do not capture droughts on time scales less than about 12 months ; more pros and cons are discussed in the expert guidance .
national drought mitigation center the national drought mitigation center works closely with nidis to provide drought - related resources and information . for more news and impacts information , visit the ndmc .
usda federal drought assistance for information on resources available to help aid in the recovery from this year’s drought , visit the usda .
home > monitoring and data > u . s . climate data > drought monitoring
keyantash , john , john a . dracup , 2002 : the quantification of drought : an evaluation of drought indices . bull . amer . meteor . soc . , 83 , 1167–1180 .
recently , the pdsi was criticized for its inability to depict droughts on time scales shorter than 12 months when monthly pdsi values were used . this is not unexpected as the pdsi was designed to be strongly auto - correlated in order to account for the impact of land memory on drought conditions . however , the palmer model also computes the un - smoothed z - index which can be used to track short - term agricultural drought , since it responds quickly to changes in soil moisture . for quantifying long - term changes in aridity and droughts , the relatively long intrinsic time scale of monthly pdsi should not be a problem .
from this perspective , the pdsi and sc _ pdsi may be considered superior to other statistically based drought indices . this is because the pdsi and sc _ pdsi can account for the basic effect of global warming through palmer ' s water balance model on droughts and wet spells . the effect of global warming may have already occurred during the 20
comprises seven federal agencies which work collaboratively to support state , tribal , local , and private sector approaches to managing drought risks and impacts .
dai , a . , 2011b : drought under global warming : a review . wiley interdisciplinary reviews : climate change , 2 , 45 - 65
the national drought mitigation center website was recently updated , so it ' s possible the url of the page you were looking for has changed .
richard r . heim jr . , 2002 : a review of twentieth - century drought indices used in the united states . bull . amer . meteor . soc . , 83 , 1149–1165
zhao , t . , and a . dai ( 2015 ) : the magnitude and causes of global drought changes in the 21st century under a low - moderate emissions scenario . j . climate , , 28 , 4490–4512
[ 1965 ] with the intent to measure the cumulative departure in surface water balance . it incorporates antecedent and current moisture supply ( precipitation , p ) and demand ( potential evapotranspiration , pe ) into a hydrological accounting system , which includes a 2 - layer bucket - type model for soil moisture calculations . the pdsi is a standardized measure , ranging from about - 10 ( dry ) to + 10 ( wet ) with values below - 3 representing severe to extreme drought . the standardization used by palmer was based on limited data from the central u . s . and tends to yield more severe pdsi in the great plains than other u . s . regions . to improve the spatial comparability ,
the pdsi is also imprecise in its treatment of all precipitation as immediately available rainfall ( i . e . , no delayed runoff from melting snow ) , its lack of impact of vegetation or frozen soils on evaporation , and some other processes . despite all these caveats , dai et al . [ 2004 ] and dai [ 2011a ] showed that the pdsi values are significantly correlated with measured soil moisture content in the warm season and streamflow over many regions over the world , and satellite observed land water storage changes , and these correlations are comparable over the u . s . and many other parts of the world . this suggests that the pdsi can be used as a measure of drought over land , especially over the low and middle latitudes . this is largely due to the fact that the normalization in the palmer model minimizes the errors associated with many of the assumptions made by palmer [ 1965 ] and that actual evaporation is often determined , to a large degree , by the availability of soil moisture ( and thus affected by precipitation ) , not only by pe , over many land areas . also , using annual values should minimize the seasonal effect of snowfall on the surface water balance .
burke , e . j . , and s . j . brown ( 2008 ) , evaluating uncertainties in the projection of future drought , j . hydrometeorol . , 9 , 292–299 , doi : 10 . 1175 / 2007jhm929 . 1
west : outside the withdrawal of d0 from a small area in northeast montana , where most locations recorded between one and two inches of rain , the drought monitor depiction is unchanged from the previous week . significant rains from the southwest monsoon have yet to reach most of arizona , and only scattered locations across southern and eastern new mexico recorded over an inch of rain this past week . but a late start to the monsoon is hardly unusual , and conditions do not warrant drought degradation yet .
midwest : a few inches of rain wiped out the abnormally dry area in central iowa , and a re - assessment of earlier rains led to the removal of d0 conditions from central indiana as well . in contrast , a relatively dry week kept abnormally dry conditions unchanged in east - central michigan , scattered areas across northern and western minnesota , and northeastern illinois . areas of drought cover southern iowa and both the northern and southwestern parts of missouri . abnormally dry conditions ( d0 ) covered much of the rest of the show - me state , but moderate to heavy rains eliminated a large area of d0 in southeastern missouri . despite areas of significant rainfall in some other parts of missouri , no marked changes in dryness or drought were noted , though a small area in north - central missouri slipped into d2 ( extreme drought ) conditions .
trenberth , k . e . , a . dai , g . van der schrier , p . d . jones , j . barichivich , k . r . briffa , and j . sheffield ^ , 2014 : global warming and changes in drought . nature climate change , 4 , 17 - 22
northeast : most areas of dryness and drought recorded at least light precipitation , with a few swaths receiving 1 to locally 2 inches ; however , these amounts were insufficient to improve conditions significantly , especially with the heat wave that enveloped the region late in the period . the only change introduced was a small expansion of abnormal dryness into a few additional counties in upstate new york .
on the positive side , the pdsi is based on a physical water - balance model , uses both precipitation and surface air temperature ( and other variables when pe _ pm is used ) as input , and takes the precedent condition into account , in contrast to most other drought indices that are based purely on past statistics of certain climate variable ( s ) , which often includes precipitation alone .
high plains : in colorado and wyoming , most areas remained unchanged ; most of wyoming remained out of dryness , and conditions worsen progressively moving south , with extreme to exceptional drought covering southern colorado . deficient precipitation and enhanced evaporative loss over the past few months led to limited expansion of d0 and d1 in areas near the central part of the border . farther east , dryness led to some deterioration in kansas . d3 pushed into part of south - central kansas while extreme drought expanded into a larger part of northeastern kansas . in the dakotas , very heavy rains and flooding late in the period covered a swath across east - central south dakota , leading to a band of 1 - to 2 - category improvement , with southern reaches of the old d2 area climbing to d0 . this area will have to be assessed next week to get a better sense of how this intense rainfall episode changed the drought situation there . moderate to heavy rains ( but only isolated minor flooding ) pelted western north dakota as well , prompting the removal of abnormal dryness over much of the western part of the state . small - scale improvements were made in a few other dry areas where rain was heaviest .
the discussion in the looking ahead section is simply a description of what the official national guidance from the national weather service ( nws ) national centers for environmental prediction is depicting for current areas of dryness and drought . the nws forecast products utilizedinclude the hpc 5 - day qpf and 5 - day mean temperature progs , the 6 - 10 day outlooks of temperature and precipitation probability , and the 8 - 14day outlooks of temperature and precipitation probability , valid as of late wednesday afternoon of the usdm release week . the nws forecast webpage used for this section is : urltoken
south : heavy rain – 3 . 5 to locally over 8 . 0 inches – dowsed much of the dry area in tennessee , eliminating most of the abnormally dry area , though a few patches remain in central and northern parts of the state . in contrast , most areas in the lower mississippi valley and southern great plains recorded little or no rainfall , with moderate to isolated heavy amounts limited to parts of central oklahoma , western texas , and the louisiana bayou . the rains brought regions of improvement ( but not broad - scale relief ) to western texas , including the big bend . farther north , a re - assessment of conditions led to some improvement being introduced in the texas panhandle ( especially northern sections ) and eastern parts of the oklahoma panhandle and adjacent western oklahoma . meanwhile , the dry and hot week prompted substantial deterioration across central and eastern texas , louisiana , arkansas , and ( to a lesser extent ) eastern oklahoma . as a result , moderate to severe drought became more widespread , especially in a swath from southern to northeastern texas . san antonio , tx reported just over 2 inches of rain for april - june 2018 , compared to a normal of over 10 . 6 inches ( third driest such period in 134 years of record ) . also , grass fires have become unusually common across the dallas - ft . worth metro area . in southwestern texas , to the north and northwest of laredo , a broad area of extreme drought ( d3 ) was introduced , with an area of exceptional drought ( d4 ) introduced in part of this region along the rio grande river . most of the new d3 area recorded only 2 to 4 inches of rain in the last 90 days , and 3 - month totals of only 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 inches ( with widely isolated higher amounts ) were recorded in the new d4 region .
regional climate impacts and outlook documents summarize seasonal conditions four times a year , in march , june , september and december . regions include the northeast , gulf of maine , southeast , south , midwest , great lakes region , missouri river basin , western region , alaska and northern canada , and hawaii and the pacific . select and download the most recent outlook for your region here
southeast : moderate to heavy rain ( one to several inches ) made a patchy pattern across the southeast , typical of summer thunderstorms . heavy rain was most widespread across florida while most areas in the central and eastern carolinas , northwestern alabama , and northern mississippi recorded only light rain , if any . deficient precipitation was noted on a variety of time scales in the central carolinas , leading to the introduction of abnormally dry conditions . farther west , enough rain fell to end dryness in northeastern and southwestern alabama , but dryness persisted over most of mississippi and some adjacent locales . the d0 area expanded to cover a bit more of southwester mississippi while d1 in a small part of that region remained unchanged .
alaska , hawaii , and puerto rico : in puerto rico , another relatively dry week along the southern tier kept abnormally dry conditions intact , with some expansion part of central puerto rico where rainfall deficits have begun to increase . across alaska and hawaii , existing areas of abnormal dryness remained unchanged .
for the remainder of this week ( through june 8 , 2018 ) , moderate precipitation ( 0 . 5 to 1 . 2 inches ) is forecast across a broad area in the southeastern great plains , the ohio and lower half of the mississippi river valleys , and the eastern seaboard . heavy rain ( 2 to locally 5 inches ) is forecast in southeastern texas and the southern tier of louisiana , and amounts could reach 2 inches in eastern pennsylvania and southwestern florida . farther west , moderate to heavy rain ( 0 . 5 to locally 2 . 5 inches ) is forecast for parts of the central and northeastern great plains , and far northern mississippi valley . rainfall should be light with isolated moderate totals in the rest of the country east of the rockies while little or no rain is expected from the rockies to the pacific ocean . average daily minimum temperatures should be above - normal throughout the contiguous states , with the largest departures ( 6 to 10 degrees f ) expected in the southern rockies , parts of the great basin and northern great plains , and throughout the ohio valley and northeast . daily high temperatures will not differ as far from normal , with 5 - day anomalies exceeding 3 degrees f more than normal limited to the northwest , the intermountain west , most of the rockies , the great lakes , and new england . the subsequent 5 - day period ( june 9 - 13 , 2018 ) , odds favor above - normal rainfall in central and southern sections of california , the intermountain west ( including the great basin ) , and the rockies , with surplus precipitation most likely in northern arizona . farther east , wet weather is also favored in the lower mississippi valley , most of the southeast , the southern and eastern ohio valley , and the middle atlantic states . southern alaska also has enhanced chances for above - normal precipitation . in contrast , subnormal rainfall is favored from central and southern texas northward through the plains , the western great lakes , the northern intermountain west , and the pacific northwest . temperatures are expected to average above normal across most of the contiguous states , with the exceptions of southeastern arizona , southwestern new mexico , and part of southern alaska , where cooler than normal conditions seem more likely .
percent area in continental u . s . - weekly change ( full statistics )
percent area in continental u . s . - monthly change ( full statistics )
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topsoil moisture maps - the cpc produces top soil maps based on the usda data .
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urltoken
lacks multi - timescale features of indices like the spi , making it difficult to correlate with specific water resources like runoff , snowpack , resevoir storage , etc .
century . the pdsi has also been widely used in tree - ring based reconstructions of past droughts in north america and other regions .
[ 1965 ] based on data from the central u . s . the sc _ pdsi performed better than the original pdsi during the 20
, 2008 ] , as the thornthwaite pe ( pe _ th ) is based only on temperature , latitude and month . this error can be minimized , however , by using the more sophisticated penman - monteith equation [ referred to as pe _ pm , which accounts for the effects of radiation , humidity and wind speed and works best over australia in a comparison of various pe formulations
[ 1965 ] chose the pe _ th mainly based on practical considerations as data for computing pe _ pm and other types of pe may be unavailable . this is especially true for global analyses .
century , comes mainly through potential evapotranspiration . as precipitation and surface air temperature are the only two climate variables with long historical records , the pdsi makes full use of these data and can be readily calculated for the last hundred years or so for most land areas . the impact of the choice of pe _ th or pe _ pm is relatively small for the 20th century , the use of pe _ th tends to overestimate the impact of the globalwarming for the model - projected 21st century climate . dai ( 2011a , jgr ) compared the various versions of the pdsi and recommended the use of the sc _ pdsi with the pe _ pm ( i . e . , sc _ pdsi _ pm ) , especially for model projections . all the references cited here can be found in dai ( 2011a , jgr ) and in the key references below . # #
data access : please cite data sources , following the data providers ' instructions .
hobbins , m . t . , a . dai , m . l . roderick , and g . d . farquhar ( 2008 ) , revisiting potential evapotranspiration parameterizations as drivers of long - term water balance trends , geophys . res . lett . , 35 , l12403 , doi : 10 . 1029 / 2008gl033840
van der schrier , g . , k . r . briffa , p . d . jones , and t . j . osborn ( 2006a ) , summer moisture variability across europe , j . clim . , 19 , 2818–2834 , doi : 10 . 1175 / jcli3734 . 1
van der schrier , g . , k . r . briffa , t . j . osborn , and e . r . cook ( 2006b ) , summer moisture availability across north america , j . geophys . res . , 111 , d11102 , doi : 10 . 1029 / 2005jd006745
van der schrier , g . , p . d . jones , and k . r . briffa ( 2011 ) , the sensitivity of the pdsi to the thornthwaite and penman - monteith parameterizations for potential evapotranspiration , j . geophys . res . , 116 , d03106
long - term pdsi over the continental us through january , 2014 . retrieved on 31 jan 2014 from urltoken
eof 1 & 2 patterns : psdi : 1900 - 2005 . ( climate data guide ; a . dai , d . shea )
eof 1 & 2 timeseries : psdi : 1900 - 2005 . ( climate data guide ; a . dai , d . shea )
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nine stories productions is a new-york based film , theater and television production company founded by jake gyllenhaal and riva marker in 2015 .

nine stories has a first-look deal with bold films , the company behind whiplash , drive , and nightcrawler , the latter of which gyllenhaal starred in and produced .

gyllenhaal won an independent spirit award for producing nightcrawler and was an executive producer on david ayer ’s end of watch .

marker produced cary fukunaga ’s critically acclaimed child soldier drama beasts of no nation and was an executive producer on academy award nominated the kids are all right .

nine stories aims to develop and produce provocative , character-driven material at both the studio and independent levels .

the company ’s first film , david gordon green ’s “ stronger , ” inspired by the true story of boston marathon bombing survivor jeff bauman and based on the new york times bestseller of the same name , will be released in fall 2017 .

nine stories is currently in post production on “ wildlife , ” paul dano 's directorial debut in which gyllenhaal stars opposite carey mulligan , and executive produced the documentary “ hondros ” about war photographer chris hondros , which will premiere at this year ’s tribeca film festival .

nine stories is currently in development on a number of titles , including jo nesbø 's critically acclaimed novel “ the son ” , which denis villeneuve will direct ; stephen gaghan 's adaptation of ubisoft ’s post-apocolyptic video game “ the division , " in which gyllenhaal will also star , and a scripted limited series for a&e centered on cults throughout history .

the company is also developing seth harp ’s rolling stone article “ the anarchists vs the islamic state ” for the screen , and “ theater of war , ” based on an episode of this american life with director alex timbers for the stage and screen .

gyllenhaal can currently be seen on broadway in an exclusive 10 weeks only run of stephen sondheim ’s sunday in the park with george at the newly reopened hudson theatre .

the musical , produced by marker , jeanine tesori and adam speers of atg , is the highest grossing in sondheim 's esteemed history .

following the deal with bold films , gyllenhaal explained : “ [ they choose ] to tell stories that i love — unflinching yet entertaining . i look forward to making movies that are successful both artistically and financially . that ’s what [ bold ceo ] gary [ michael waters ] and [ chairman ] michel [ litvak ] do . they are nonconformists who have already proven to be terrific partners on ‘ nightcrawler ’ — protecting stories and the artists who tell them . ” litvak added : “ we are thrilled to be back in business with jake . i truly enjoy our artistic collaboration . his impeccable taste in projects and deep knowledge of how to make high quality films make him a formidable producer . "

nine stories productions

gyllenhaal is attached as an exec producer , along with his nine stories producing partner riva marker .
i’ve read that many times . i went on a family vacation to hawaii when i was 12 and my sister [ actress maggie gyllenhaal ] gave it to me for christmas . i couldn’t put it down . my production company is called nine stories productions , a homage to salinger’s book of short stories .
a & e has put in development an anthology series focused on american cults created by jake gyllenhaal , nine stories productions and a & e studios . the announcement was made today by elaine frontain bryant , executive vice president and head of programming , for a & e as part of the tca winter press tour .
nine stories’ producers jake gyllenhaal and riva marker and bold film’s michel litvak are behind this project ; bold’s gary michael walters is executive producing with jo nesbo and niclas salomonsson .
a & e network , academy award and golden globe nominee jake gyllenhaal ( “end of watch , ” “nightcrawler , ” “southpaw” ) , nine stories productions and a + e studios ( “unreal , ” “roots” ) are partnering on the premium series development of an anthology that will explore the world of a different major american cult persona and the provocative nature of belief each season . the announcement was made today by elaine frontain bryant , executive vice president and head of programming , for a & e .
the oscar - nominated actor’s production company nine stories prods . is developing an anthology series from a + e studios for a & e network . the limited series will explore major american cult personas , and the first season is planned to revolve around the jim jones story .
jake gyllenhaal is getting into the tv game . the oscar - nominated actor’s production company nine stories prods . is developing an anthology series from a + e studios for a & e network . the limited series will explore major american cult personas , and the first season is planned to revolve around the jim jones story . gyllenhaal’s development project was announced by [ … ]
jake gyllenhaal and the production company behind his critically - acclaimed turn in nightcrawler are joining together to bring a popular crime novel to the big screen . nine stories which has a first - look deal with its partner bold films are developing a feature adpatation of jo nesbo ’s crime novel the son with sicario director denis villeneuve set to helm . this also marks the third collaboration for gyllenhaal and villeneuve ( enemy and prisoners ) .
“ bold films chooses to tell stories that i love — unflinching yet entertaining , ” gyllenhaal said in a statement . “i look forward to making movies that are successful both artistically and financially . that’s what gary ( michael waters , bold ceo ) and michel ( litvak ) do . they are nonconformists who have already proven to be terrific partners on ‘ nightcrawler ’ — protecting stories and the artists who tell them . ”
nine stories recently completed principal photography on its first feature — david gordon green’s stronger in which gyllenhaal stars as the working - class boston man jeff bauman , whose iconic photo from the 2013 boston marathon bombing captured the hearts of the world . it is inspired by a true story and based on the new york times bestseller . the film was developed by mandeville films before it was brought to bold films ; lionsgate will release it in 2017 .
“riva and i founded nine stories to push creative limits , and have found a wonderful partner in a & e with this fascinating series , ” gyllenhaal said . “jim jones is a complex character — one who has found his way into the collective unconscious . we want to focus on the undeniable magnatism of zealots and the danger of that kind of charisma . a notion not only pertinent to cult leaders but to the geo - political climate of today . ”
“riva and i founded nine stories to push creative limits , and have found a wonderful partner in a & e with this fascinating series , ” gyllenhaal stated . “jim jones is a complex character – one who has found his way into the collective unconscious . we want to focus on the undeniable magnatism of zealots and the danger of that kind of charisma . a notion not only pertinent to cult leaders but to the geo - political climate of today . ”
executive produced by gyllenhaal and riva marker ( “beasts of no nation , ” “the kids are all right” ) and produced by their company nine stories productions in association with a + e studios , the series’ inaugural season would focus on the notorious story of jim jones and his cult the peoples temple of the disciples of christ . the series would chronicle jones’ path from social leader and passionate integrationist to deranged spiritual dictator to a group of followers committed to his dangerous philosophy of faith . as jones’ mental health began to unravel , growth of his flock , power and influence resulted in increased scrutiny from the media and authorities , forcing him to move his california - based congregation to guyana to create the eponymous infamous jonestown commune . there , in 1978 , they lost their lives in a mass murder / suicide organized by jones himself , resulting in the deaths of more than 900 people , including over 300 children , united states congressman leo ryan and several journalists , becoming one of the largest single losses of american civilian lives in history .
other projects also in development at nine stories is jack hitt’s this american life account of lee yopp , a former football coach turned theater director , who was hired by the us army to stage an annual music pageant on fort bragg with tony - nominee alex timbers aboard to direct ; antoine fuqua’s cartel drama the man who made it snow , based on david mermelstein’s best - selling autobiography in which gyllenhaal would star as max mermelstein , a jewish hotel engineer who transformed pablo escobar’s medellin cartel from a small mom - and - pop drug organization into a billion - dollar enterprise .
executive produced by gyllenhaal and riva marker ( beasts of no nation , the kids are all right ) , and produced by their nine stories prods in association with a + e studios , the series will explore a different major cult personality and the provocative nature of belief each season . season 1 would focus on the notorious story of jim jones and his cult the peoples temple of the disciples of christ . the series would chronicle jones’ path from social leader and passionate integrationist to deranged spiritual dictator over a group of followers committed to his dangerous philosophy of faith , culminating in a mass murder - suicide in which 918 people died at the group’s guyana compound in november 1978 .
following last year’s sleeper hit “nightcrawler , ” jake gyllenhaal has signed a first - look deal with bold films . the partnership affords gyllenhaal the opportunity to acquire and develop new material . riva marker is set as the production executive for gyllenhaal’s new company . “bold films chooses to tell stories that i love — unflinching yet entertaining , ” gyllenhaal said [ … ]
it is not , however , nearly as large as it might be , given his precocious success . since starring as a 17 - year - old rocket enthusiast in the heartwarming 1999 film ' ' october sky , ' ' gyllenhaal has become the go - to guy for art - house auteurs in search of angst - ridden adolescents . he has mined the emotionally taxing terrain of what he calls ' ' serious , sulking brooders ' ' to great acclaim . in the 2001 cult hit ' ' donnie darko , ' ' gyllenhaal teamed with his older thespian sibling , maggie ( whose breakthrough came last year in ' ' secretary ' ' ) , portraying a time - traveling high - school student driven to misdeeds by a demonic rabbit . he has also played the boy - toy of an older woman in ' ' lovely and amazing ' ' and a discount store worker dangerously obsessed with jennifer aniston - - and j . d . salinger - - in ' ' the good girl . ' ' ( gyllenhaal ' s production company , nine stories , is named for the salinger collection , his favorite being ' ' teddy . ' ' )
following last year’s sleeper hit “ nightcrawler , ” jake gyllenhaal has signed a first - look deal with bold films .
the partnership affords gyllenhaal the opportunity to acquire and develop new material . riva marker is set as the production executive for gyllenhaal’s new company .
“nightcrawler” received an oscar nomination for original screenplay , and gyllenhaal nabbed a sag nom for lead actor . the film went on to gross $ 38 . 7 million worldwide on an $ 8 . 5 million budget .
“ [ jake’s ] impeccable taste in projects and deep knowledge of how to make high quality films make him a formidable producer , ” said bold films chairman litvak .
gyllenhaal has already had a busy year , with “southpaw” recently overperforming at the box office ; “everest” is set to make an awards push later on this year . he is about to start production on tom ford’s “nocturnal animals” and is in negotiations to star in lionsgate’s boston marathon bombing drama “stronger . ”
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gyllenhaal’s development project was announced by elaine frontain bryant , exec vice president and head of programming for a & e at the television critics association press tour on wednesday in pasadena , calif .
the jim jones story — which would set the stage for the inaugural season , should the project get greenlit — would focus on his cult , the peoples temple of the disciples of christ , and chronicle jones’ path from social leader to deranged spiritual dictator to a group of followers who eventually were involved in the biggest single loss of american life in a deliberate act until the 9 / 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 . the jones - led california - based congregation made headlines , shocking the world , when the group moved to guyana where they created the eponymous infamous jonestown commune , which in 1978 , was the site of the mass murder and suicide via apparent cyanide poisoning , organized by jones . the event left more than 900 people dead , including over 300 children , u . s . congressman leo ryan and many journalists .
the anthology series marks gyllenhaal’s first foray into television producing . the “southpaw” star previously served as a producer on his films “nightcrawler” and “end of watch . ”
actor jake gyllenhaal wowed millions in the title role of his breakthrough film , donnie darko . he then starred in underwhelming action flick the day after tomorrow and indie offering the good girl . he has now hit the a - list with brokeback mountain , playing a gay cowboy , and jarhead , which opens today , as a marine waiting for action in the gulf .
no . i’ve had people very close to me die recently and that’s made me question my mortality . this didn’t do that as much as it made me realise that no matter what i feel , it’s ok . feelings never killed anybody .
he did once and we still joke with him about it . there were 1 , 000 extras and no one was listening to [ actor ] chris cooper . sam just felt there needed to be a bit of respect , so he got up on stage and shouted : ‘shut the f * * * up ! ’
there’s speculation jarhead and brokeback mountain will see you nominated for oscars . how do you feel about that ?
there’s a lot of talk about things like that when you work with directors such as ang lee or sam mendes because they are expected to win oscars . frankly , you don’t say no to either of them . you beg them , no matter what it is you’re going to be doing in their films – whether it’s wearing a santa cap over your dick [ in jarhead ] or making love to heath ledger [ in brokeback mountain ] .
when you spend that much time in such close quarters with people , if someone’s wearing a santa hat on their dick , it’s kind of like ‘whatever’ .
the film is based on a book by ex - marine anthony swofford . what’s your favourite book ?
what about salinger’s the catcher in the rye ? your character in 2002’s the good girl was obsessed with it .
your mother naomi foner is a screenwriter . did you meet big stars when you were a child ?
paul newman taught me how to drive . when i was 15 , my mum was writing a script with him and we went out to the racetrack . he threw me in the passenger seat and started driving . we’re 100ft from a wall , going 60 miles an hour and he hits the brake and turns the wheel – and the car spins three times . then he turns to me and goes : ‘that was what you don’t do . ’
your father stephen is a director . was there any possibility of you not following him in the family business ?
probably not . acting was always a passion of mine but now i’m thinking there may be things that i’m just as interested in .
cooking is just as much of a passion . my best friend is a chef and all my closest friends are chefs . i think performing has always been a big thing for me and i think cooking is another type of performance .
maybe . my friend peter [ sarsgaard , his jarhead co - star and his sister’s fiancé ] taught me that whatever you are feeling is ok . if you are acting and you don’t want to act , then fine . peter said he’s been treating his talent like it was a two - cent whore . he’s having his way with it and not appreciating it . whatever you are doing , if you lose an appreciation for it , it’s time to rethink that .
[ laughs ] i don’t know what i am . i know i was kind of an it - guy for a long time .
you’re also popular with gay people thanks to brokeback mountain . are you comfortable with that ?
i’m comfortable with whatever status i have . i’ve been called ‘the thinking woman’s sex symbol’ but doesn’t every woman think ? a lot of young girls come up to me and they’re so cute and sweet . then i might be at a street fair and a guy with his butt cheeks hanging out of his trousers will tell me he likes my movie . it’s a pretty interesting existence .
all the time . i’d phone maggie while we were making jarhead and say : ‘i’m feeling this way and i don’t understand . ’ and she’d say : ‘but that sounds perfect for the film . ’ she came to the set and said : ‘i have some notes if you want to hear them . ’ i was like , ‘yesss ! ’
ava duvernay’s ‘central park five’ casts michael k . williams , vera farmiga & john leguizamo for netflix…
greg goldman to leave ‘undercover boss’ producer studio lambert after 5 years as u . s chief
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nesbo is a scandanavian writer whose books have sold more than 30 million copies , translated into fifty languages . his crime novel the snowman was adapted into a film by tomas alfredson for working title .
the son follows the life of sonny lofthus , a once gifted 15 - year - old and promising wrestler , whose downward spiral ensues when his cop father commits suicide . for the past twelve years , sonny’s time in prison has been nurtured by an uninterrupted supply of heroin from a seedy chaplain on the inside . when sonny learns long - hidden truths about his father’s unexpected death , he makes a brilliant escape and begins hunting down the people responsible for his wrongful sentence .
the company is also in post - production on a feature documentary about acclaimed photographer , christopher hondros , who was killed on assignment in libya in 2011 , as told by his best friend and journalist , greg campbell .
and , in television , it is developing an anthology series for a & e network that explores major american cult personas over history . the first season highlights the story of cult leader jim jones , who was responsible for the 1978 mass murder - suicide in jonestown , guyana .
gyllenhaal will start production on bong joon ho’s okja and daniel espinosa’s life later this year . he next stars opposite amy adams in tom ford’s nocturnal animals .
villeneuve is currently in post production on story of your life with jeremy renner and amy adams and soon begins production on untitled blade runner project starring harrison ford .
gyllenhaal is represented by wme and carlos goodman of bloom hergott . villeneuve is represented by caa . nesbo is represented by rwsg , the salomonsson agency and keith fleer .
wga west exec director david young got “significant bonus” to earn $ 1 . 1 million last year
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jake gyllenhaal can wrap two feet around his head . no , he is not a yogi , although the 22 - year - old actor did study eastern religion at columbia university for two years . it ' s just that the circumference of his noggin is a whopping 24 inches .
' ' i can never find hats that fit , ' ' gyllenhaal says , removing one that does - - a hybrid baseball - trucker cap by the london label the ' ' duffer ' ' of st . george . ' ' my head happens to be of an abnormal size . ' '
for comic relief , the naturally buoyant gyllenhaal threw himself into slapstick , playing a love - struck teenager in the dark farce ' ' bubble boy , ' ' but soon enough he returned to drama , playing a surrogate son to susan sarandon and dustin hoffman in ' ' moonlight mile . ' '
the reasons : nature and nurture . gyllenhaal , the son of the screenwriter naomi foner and the director stephen gyllenhaal , made his film debut as a gap - toothed , spiky - haired tween , playing billy crystal ' s son in the 1991 comedy ' ' city slickers . ' ' two years later , both he and his sister appeared in ' ' a dangerous woman , ' ' scripted by their mother and directed by their father .
the gyllenhaals grew up in los angeles and on ' ' extravagantly awesome ' ' martha ' s vineyard with an a - list of liberals . modesty and general boredom with the subject prevents him from name - dropping , but for the record , they include : his godmother , jamie lee curtis ; his first driving instructor , paul newman , whom he knew then only as ' ' the salad dressing guy ' ' ; and ted danson and mary steenburgen , who invited a young gyllenhaal to dinner with his now - chum chelsea clinton .
it was hoffman , however , who may have had the greatest influence , urging the young actor to explore the theater . as a result , gyllenhaal made his stage debut in the 2002 london production of kenneth lonergan ' s play ' ' this is our youth ' ' - - a revolving - cast production that has become ' ' the vagina monologues ' ' for the postadolescent drama set . the role earned gyllenhaal an outstanding newcomer award from the evening standard .
without driving a muscle car , donning superhero tights or defiling a piece of pastry , gyllenhaal ' s ascendance has , by any standard , come fast and furious . during one particularly hectic period when he made five films in one year , gyllenhaal wore a gold band on his finger inscribed with these words : ' ' mine the darkness and see by the path you leave behind . ' '
he no longer wears that ring , and declares that nonstop journeyman period over . ' ' i needed time to figure things about myself rather than grow up on movie sets , ' ' he says . one thing he discovered was his comfort zone ; he decided not to pursue a plum role in bertolucci ' s ' ' dreamers , ' ' which involved nudity . ' ' i ' m not shy about taking my clothes off , but if i ' m going to see pictures of myself naked on the internet , i would love to feel like there was a reason for it , that it was of service to the story . ' ' in the past , he admits , he would choose ' ' characters that were more screwed up than i am to prove something , rather than accepting that i have certain obvious things that i want to show to people . ' '
chief among those things are a quick , improvisational wit and a goofy charm somewhat at odds with his troubled screen persona . the recent addition of a beard , something he is toying with for his coming role in the screen production of the broadway hit ' ' proof , ' ' does little to diminish - - or age - - his unconventionally handsome mug . with gyllenhaal , though , the eyes have it ; strikingly blue and expressive , they telegraph hurt and delight , mischief and danger .
sauntering into the cafe of ikea ( his rendezvous choice ) in burbank , calif . , the 6 - footer appears exceedingly everydude in a hanes t - shirt and dolce & gabbana jeans that hang low in the de rigueur fashion of youth , revealing calvin klein drawers . he pretends to be horrified by his entrance .
' ' did i pull the ultimate actor move of being 15 minutes late ? ' ' he asks , eyes twinkling .
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gyllenhaal orders a plate of swedish meatballs , which he eats with toothpicks just to appear eccentric . of swedish descent himself , the actor admires the socialist approach of the home - furnishings outlet and happily strolls the aisles , talking to strangers .
' ' i like ikea because it feels like the potential of a home , ' ' says gyllenhaal , who remains undaunted by the actor ' s itinerant life . ' ' i ' ve just been roaming the land . i live in a storage bin and eat at ikea . ' '
when the store sound system begins blaring the 80 ' s pop standard ' ' walking on sunshine , ' ' gyllenhaal , who narrowly lost the lead in ' ' moulin rouge ' ' to ewan mcgregor , amuses fellow shoppers by breaking into song and dance . spent , he slides into a display filled with red rubber balls . ' ' i ' m floating in a pan of giant cranberries , ' ' he shouts , giving voice to either an inner child or a very green acting student .
with a charisma characterized in the pages of youth publications as ' ' puppy dog adorable ' ' that could easily have led gyllenhaal to alpha - teen pinup status , he has always chosen the more difficult , less commercial path . now , he has also arrived at a professional crossroads , electing to do more theater and fewer films in favor of those that will secure his position as a box office commodity , allowing him the freedom to choose independent projects or work with current favorite directors like pedro almodóvar and alfonso cuarón .
toward that end , gyllenhaal spent six months in montreal filming ' ' the day after tomorrow , ' ' a big - budget doomsday thriller directed by roland emmerich ( of ' ' independence day ' ' ) to be released next spring . ' ' i play sam hall , a feisty guy caught in the middle of his parents ' divorce , ' ' gyllenhaal says . ' ' he ' s a smart kid , but doesn ' t study , and when caught in dire life - threatening circumstances , he discovers himself to be an unlikely hero . i did all of my own stunts : no look - alikes , no dummies . ' '
no dummy himself , gyllenhaal counts environmentalism among his causes and hopes the story about global warming turns out to be a cautionary tale .
' ' it ' s not like i ' m trying to disguise a movie that is basically a big - action film as some sort of political statement , ' ' he says . ' ' i do believe that the environment sways and stagnates politics . i mean , if we were using alternative energy , obviously we ' d have no interest in iraq . hopefully , people will leave the theater and go : ' i ' m driving this enormous s . u . v . that guzzles gas , and there are only two people in the car with me every day , and i don ' t use it for anything else except to kind of look cool . maybe i should get a hybrid car . ' ' ' this is exactly what gyllenhaal intends to do , when the lease on his current ride - - a bmw station wagon - - is up .
speaking of global affairs , his craft and his personal life , gyllenhaal maintains a serious mien but rises to the bait when called a lefty . ' ' i ' m totally bipartisan ! ' ' he protests with a smile . ' ' i ' m a big fan of the texas rangers , and there ' s something stylish about them belts george bush wears . ' '
he is surprisingly relaxed and good - natured about the attention that his relationship with the actress kirsten dunst , 21 , has garnered . ' ' fame is being able to get into a restaurant , ' ' he says . ' ' it doesn ' t inhibit what i do and the way i feel . needing attention is a destructive , really unhappy way to live . if you watch the ebb and flow of these things , it ' s like a few seconds in what i intend to be an incredibly long career . ' '
after filming ' ' proof , ' ' gyllenhaal plans to tackle the classics , playing romeo in 2004 in a west end production . ' ' i am chomping at the bit , ' ' he admits . ' ' there are periods of time in your life where you can truly and honestly pull certain characters off . romeo happens to fit right now . i have never performed shakespeare , but i have an innate feeling that this role and i will get along just fine . i ' ve outgrown quirky - - on to the romantics . ' '
correction : september 28 , 2003 , sunday a picture caption last sunday in men ' s fashions of the times , part 2 of the times magazine , with an article about the actor jake gyllenhaal , misspelled the label of a scarf he was photographed wearing . it is duckie brown , not ducky brown .
david a . keeps is the los angeles correspondent for travel and leisure magazine .
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a + e networks will handle global sales for the series , which originated in development at a + e studios last year . other current series from a + e studios include lifetime’s critically - acclaimed drama “unreal , ” which will return for a second season this year , and the major limited series event “roots , ” currently in production .
originally from dublin , ireland , james is a movie critic and celebrity interviewer with over 30 years of experience in the film industry as an award - winning filmmaker .
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“wonder park” tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named . . .
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hanami ( 花見 , " flower viewing " ) is the japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers ; flowers ( " hana " ) are in this case almost always referring to those of the cherry ( " sakura " ) or , less frequently , plum ( " ume " ) trees .

from the end of march to early may , cherry trees bloom all over japan , and around the first of february on the island of okinawa .

the blossom forecast ( 桜前線 sakura-zensen ) " cherry blossom front " is announced each year by the weather bureau , and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two .

in modern-day japan , hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night .

in some contexts the sino-japanese term kan ' ō ( 観桜 , view-cherry ) is used instead , particularly for festivals .

hanami at night is called yozakura ( 夜桜 ) " night sakura " .

on the island of okinawa , decorative electric lanterns are hung in the trees for evening enjoyment , such as on the trees ascending mt. yae , near motobu town , or at the nakijin castle .

a more ancient form of hanami also exists in japan , which is enjoying the plum blossoms ( 梅 ume ) instead , which is narrowly referred to as umemi ( 梅見 , plum-viewing ) .

this kind of hanami is popular among older people , because they are calmer than the sakura parties , which usually involve younger people and can sometimes be very crowded and noisy .

hanami

hanami - hanami party - the japanese custom of enjoying cherry blossoms along with the arrival of spring . see many hanami pictures .
git clone urltoken cd hanami & & bundle bundle exec hanami new bookshelf - - hanami - head cd bookshelf vim gemfile # edit with : gem ' hanami ' , path : ' . . ' bundle
hmmm air - hanami sounds more like doing hanami outside but without any sakura blossoming and lets be honest aren ' t most people going to hanami for just the drinks anyway .
kirin even has a dedicated air - hanami page on amazon japan where you can get your hanami drinks and goods at the click of a button .
these components are designed to be used independently or together in a hanami application .
toyotomi hideyoshi at one of his final hanami events in kyōto before his death .
this is still a popular hanami spot located a short distance from ōji station .
sakura
or cherry blossoms in kyoto during hanami season in the spring .
* hanami - zushi set with fukutsui / available from march 20 through early april .
go and get some stuff at the nearest convenience store to hanami spot , then start hanami in available space . there should be small space for the number of people .
you can give back to open source , by supporting hanami development via a donation . 💚
hanami at night is called yozakura , when the trees are illuminated . photo by yamaguchi kazunori
hanami season at maruyama park in kyoto , which features stalls and cherry blossoms in the spring .
having a hanami party among japanese may become an experience you will never forget . you will find below the must - have items to fully enjoy hanami party . most of them can be purchased at 100 yen shops .
41 union ave cresskill , nj 07626 201 . 567 . 8508 © hanami restaurant designed and developed by leojavier .
hanami brings out the crowds . it’s like being on a yamanote train but times 1000 . if you’re a person who likes to sit in quiet contemplation and avoid large groups of people , then hanami might not be for you .
as the japanese celebrate hanami - cherry blossom viewing , we also celebrate in similar ways in washington d . c .
the site also provides some majestic photos of scenes including sakura trees in bloom for your air - hanami viewing pleasure .
hanami is a full - stack ruby web framework . it ' s made up of smaller , single - purpose libraries .
the article , while much to the point , i think is talking solely about large urban park hanami free for alls .
now , seeing the gorgeous cherry flowers is always a pleasure each year , but considering that hanami is also a huge excuse for people across japan to party , buy lots of alcohol , and get drunk , it’s not surprising that beer companies like kirin would be enthusiastic about promoting air - hanami . in fact , kirin has actually put up a special website dedicated to air - hanami , describing the concept and suggesting drinks and various items for people who want to enjoy air - hanami .
if you want to enjoy food at a hanami party , hanami bento is recommended . the bento for hanami looks pretty as the colorful ingredients like carrot is cut in the shape of a cherry blossom petal . and as vegetables and fishes in season are used , you will be able to enjoy the taste of spring in japan . the basement food floor of department store is a good place to get a hanami bento . you will find all sorts of food from japanese to western and many shops have a few types of hanami bento . as there are so many choices , you will have a trouble choosing one .
we’re now at the peak of hanami , flower - viewing season here in tokyo . but this year apparently some people are trying to spread the idea of “air - hanami“ , which essentially is flower viewing without actually going outside and seeing real flowers .
if you have any questions about hanami , put them on our facebook page . we answer them as far as we can .
in a business culture that makes of one’s company a second family ( if not a first ) , many hanami outings are office - centered . a few years ago the weekly magazine shukan post described a hanami gathering of trading company co - workers , male and female .
when there are as many people as in the photo , then it is definitely not fun . i think i have outgrown hanami parties .
hanami is basically having a picnic meal under cherry blossom trees . barbecue is one of good ways of hanami , but fire ban is in force in some parks . confirmation of rules is essential if you make a plan to do it . there may be no space at parks in the season , so “bashotori ( keeping your space for hanami in advance” is suggested . * bashotori is also prohibited in some parks .
with hanami comes the consumption of copious amounts of food and liquids that really don’t like to hang around in your body for too long . at hanami , the queues become a different beast . you might only have four or five toilets serving a crowd of a few hundred .
and it’s not only the beer companies , but the japanese media seems to be trying to promote this new concept of air - hanami . one of the major national tv stations in japan recently aired a segment on air - hanami as a growing phenomenon . there are also plenty of photos and videos of blooming sakura flowers being shared on twitter and other social media as material that can be used for air - hanami .
as horticulture and the art of garden construction incorporated new scientific discoveries , public parks and botanical gardens soon learned that they could extend the hanami season by planting two to three varieties in the same park . why only have two weeks of hanami when you can have three or four ?
hanami ( 花見 , hanami lit .
flower viewing
) is the japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers ,
flower
in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms ( 桜 or 櫻 , sakura ) , or ume blossoms ( 梅 , ume ) . from late march to early may , sakura bloom all over japan . the blossom forecast ( 桜前線 , sakurazensen , lit . cherry blossom front ) is announced each year by the weather bureau , and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two . in modern - day japan , hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party ( hanami party ) beneath the sakura during daytime or at night . hanami at night is called yozakura ( lit .
night sakura
) . in many places such as ueno park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura .
hanami today is not so different to hanami thousands of years ago . japanese people continue the tradition by gathering in great numbers wherever the flowering sakura trees are found . parks are filled with thousands of people holding feasts under the blooming trees , sometimes these parties will go from early in the morning to late at night . in more than half of japan sakura blossoming days come at the same time that school and work begins after vacation . start of semester welcoming parties are often opened or based around hanami . parks are flocked with people celebrating hanami with friends , family and co - workers for many hours or even day’s before hanami has started . in major cities like tokyo it was very common to have celebrations under the sakura at night . hanami night is called ‘yosakura’ ( 夜桜 ) meaning night sakura . in places such a ueno park , temporary paper lanterns are hung to celebrate yosakura .
i live in the country and hanami is fantastic . it is one of my favourite times of year . basically in the countryside there a lot fewer company parties and mostly parties involving family and friends , so it is usually very relaxed and fun . this is the kind of hanami i like .
ladies of the shōgun’s harem enjoying hanami on the expansive grounds of edo castle , once the largest castle in the world – a city within a city .
i’m glad you asked . hanami is a chance for you to go outside and revel in the few beloved weeks of spring that japan has to offer before the rainy season hits . hanami started out as a personnel pamper party for the emperor and his chums but quickly spread to the rest of the country .
i’m glad you asked . hanami is a chance for you to go outside and revel in the few beloved weeks of spring that japan has to offer before the rainy season hits . hanami started out as a personnel pamper party for the emperor and his chums but quickly spread to the rest of the country .
in order to simulate installed gems on developers ' computers , the build installs all the gems locally in vendor / cache , including hanami code from lib / .
spread picnic blankets the space you want to do hanami . ( don’t put too big blanket ! there may be many people . go for the happy medium .
basically , more than one person get together for hanami . if you do it by yourself , walk under cherry blossom trees with a drink in your hand .
with the beginning of spring in japan comes hanami ( 花見 ) or ‘flower viewing . ’ the most famous occasions of hanami take place around the spring bloom of cherry blossom – or , as i like to call it , ‘the pink blizzard of happy fun times ! ’ i’m waiting for the name to really catch on .
[ … ] [ xxxii ] star , marky ( 2017 , april 4 ) . the history of hanami . japan this ! retrieved from : urltoken [ … ]
cherry blossoms are one of the most iconic natural beauties of japan . throughout the country , their brief but gorgeous blooming period is celebrated in an event called hanami , essentially a picnic among the blossoms with friends or loved ones . to help you plan the perfect hanami , we present 10 must - see spots throughout the country .
with the beginning of spring in japan comes
hanami
( 花見 ) or
flower viewing .
the most famous occasions of hanami take place around the spring bloom of cherry blossom – or , as i like to call it ,
the pink blizzard of happy fun times !
i’m waiting for the name to really catch on .
“hanami ( cherry blossom viewing ) ” in japan often involves a picnic party to enjoy cherry blossoms as well as food and drinks . people have a hanami party with friends , family or colleagues under the cherry tree and have fun . it seems the dazzling cherry blossoms in full bloom make many people get higher than usual . but there are manners and a certain way to have a hanami party . and a good preparation may help you to enjoy the party even more . why not enjoy spring in the japanese way .
, enjoying hanami – placing themselves on par with the imperial court . hideyoshi encouraged the warriors to engage in other arts such as poetry , tea ceremony , and flower arrangement .
hanami can be just a stroll in the park , but it traditionally also involves a picnic party under the blooming trees . hanami parties have been held in japan for many centuries , and today are held in public and private gardens and parks across the country . famous cherry blossom spots can get very crowded , and the best picnic spots are fought after .
i have lovely memories from when i was young , doing hanami with my parents , brother , and sister . my mom packed a special lunch box , hanami bento , full of our favorite foods . my father was in charge of securing a good place for us at the famous park by placing a blanket under the cherry trees in the early morning .
for many japanese , the blooming of the cherry blossom trees symbolizes human life , transience and nobleness . the japanese love to celebrate and cherish the cherry blossoms trees during the limited flowering period and many people hold ‘flower watching’ parties known as hanami . you simply cannot travel to japan in spring without appreciating the beauty of the sakura and experiencing a hanami party for yourself !
due to hanami often being at the start of the new working and school year , companies will often hold hanami parties as a “welcome” party too . however , if you’re a new worker , or just the unlucky draw in your friendship group , this can be a very depressing time as you’ll be the one who has to secure a good spot for the party .
during this season in japan , people like to have cherry blossom parties with colleagues , friends , and family . a cherry blossom makes people merry . they enjoy eating , drinking , and barbecuing underneath the cherry blossoms . we call this custom hanami . hanami literally means “watching blossoms , ” and the tradition can be traced back at least a thousand years . we bring cooked meals , alcohol , snacks , and sweets , like a potluck party . schools and offices hold welcome parties during hanami , a chance for people to bond and meet new friends .
in any case , i like to walk around and look at the cherry blossoms , or have a small party in someone ' s yard , but i can definitely live without hanami .
i go to a 100 yen shop , buy a fake branch of sakura and go drinking at an izakaya with my students and call it a
hanami party
every year . . .
if we take the word literally , hanami just means “looking at flowers . ” it’s a japanese word that falls into a broad category of “looking at things” words – two other famous examples might be
appreciation of nature aside , hanami is literally a festival where everyone , from salarymen to tourists , rubs shoulders with the sole purpose of having a good time . it’s an experience so uniquely japanese .
honestly , the answer here is everywhere . that being said , here is a sampling of some of the places i have personally visited through the years to get my cherry blossom viewing or “hanami” fill :
okay , so air - hanami may not really take hold in japan as a yearly spring - time activity , but as we’ve mentioned already , it does have its advantages . what do you think — does virtual flower - viewing seem like a viable idea at all for people who can’t actually go and see the sakura flowers in person ? or should those staying indoors stick to just eating delicious hanami cakes instead ?
so what’s the deal with flower - viewing without the flowers ? well , there are actually some very real advantages to an indoor virtual hanami . even though the sakura flowers may be in bloom , it’s still quite chilly outdoors this time of year , especially during the night , so unless you’re lucky enough to have exceptionally warm weather , spending several hours outside for a hanami session after work could get cold and uncomfortable .
i have to ride my bike along a 1 kilometer tree lined lane every day to the train station . i get my hanami in the morning and evening . very lovely time of year and finishes too soon .
this was one of the preeminent hanami spots in the edo period , but sadly shōgunate destroyed the area to build defensive islands to protect edo from the threat of a sea based invasion by western powers in the 1850’s .
shunkōsai hokushū ( fl . 1810–1832 ) . yakusha no hanami ( actors viewing cherry blossoms ) , ca . 1819 . color woodblock print . prints and photographs division , library of congress ( 029 . 00 . 00 )
beyond this , you’ll also be treated to a host of different events , parties and separate festivals going on at the same time . you’ll always leave a hanami festival with countless memories of what you did and saw .
even at night , viewing spots are crowded with people enjoying the blossoms in a beautiful , romantic atmosphere . couples go at night to enjoy the special mood created by cherry blossoms . hanami at night is called yozakura .
so , edo’s big 5 hanami spots were goten’yama , ueno , the banks of the sumida river , asukayama , and koganei . what are your favorite spots in modern tōkyō ? and do you know any cool secret spots ?
hanami is a great experience to let the general atmosphere , and any liquid confidence , fuel your japanese ability – you’ll rapidly find your group mixing with those around you ; with food , drinks and good times being shared .
the idea is that you can enjoy pictures or videos of beautifully blooming sakura trees ( or even artificial sakura branches ) in the comfort of your home or a restaurant to have a sort of virtual or “air - hanami” experience .
in reality however , a huge majority of the people on the japanese internet seem to think that air - hanami is a ridiculous idea , especially based on the comments that appeared after the tv segment on air - hanami was aired , many of which expressed thoughts like : “what a stupid idea . not elegant at al ! ” or “aaaargh… we can’t turn this into a fad ! we’ll have idiots breaking off branches from sakura trees to do this . ”
having a picnic and drinking sake while looking at cherry blossoms is a tradition that goes back to the heian period . until recently , you could usually only carry a bottle or two with you , so the parties were shorter . since the 70’s and 80’s , there have been convenience stores on every corner in major cities . this has made it possible for hanami parties to run from 6 am to 11 pm because you can just refuel at 7 - 11 whenever you run out of booze . furthermore , hanami goers in parks these days can even order delivery pizza , sushi , or whatever they need . in the age of instant gratification , an old proverb came to be associated with hanami :
most of the sites for hanami do not have garbage bins in place . you must not leave the garbage behind . please try to minimize the amount of garbage and be sure to take the garbage with you to where you are staying .
few things capture the essence of japanese culture like
hanami
of flower viewing during the country ' s spring cherry blossom season . here ' s a sampling of a few places to catch those
sakura
in bloom when visiting japan .
hanami celebrations usually involve eating and drinking , and playing and listening to music . special dishes such as dango and bento are prepared and eaten at the occasion . it is also very common for sake to be drunk as a party of the festivity .
now i like to go to hanami with a few of my close friends just to enjoy the cherry blossoms , but if i go with a lot of friends or a group of colleagues , it mostly means having a party with lots of eating and drinking .
wet wipes to clean your hands , etc . are called wet tissues in japan . they are useful to clean your hands or clothes when you drop or spill food on your clothe as there may not be water readily available near where you have a hanami party .
, or nighttime sakura viewing , is generally thought to have origins in yoshiwara and similar edo period red light districts because businesses stayed open late and used lanterns to maximum effect to make their shops seems more attractive at night , especially during the short cherry blossom season . while usually men frequented the pleasure quarters , wives and daughters often came to enjoy the illuminated trees and try to catch a glimpse of the courtesans in their flashy kimono . anyone who has enjoyed yo - zakura knows there’s a dramatic difference between daytime hanami and nighttime hanami .
isetan shinjuku is closely located to shinjuku - sanchome station on the tokyo metro line . quite a few stores are found on the basement food floor and a wide variety of hanami bento from a luxurious bento which is priced at about 5 , 000 yen to a healthy bento with lots of vegetables is available . as a park called shinjuku - gyoen national garden where there are 1 , 300 cherry trees is close to isetan shinjuku , you can have a hanami party there . but please note that no alcohol beverage is allowed in the park .
utagawa hirokage ( fl . 1851–1866 ) . asukayama no hanami ( flower viewing at asuka hill ) in edo meisho dōkezukush ( comical collection of famous places in edo ) , 1859 . color woodblock album . japanese collection , asian division , library of congress ( 045 . 00 . 00 )
hanami : sakura and the art of cherry blossom viewing in japan | technobubble it’s as japanese as samurai , bullet trains and anime cartoons . one can even argue that there’s no more enduring symbol that captures japanese culture than the “sakura” or cherry blossom . check out this story on urltoken urltoken
in japan , spring is a very meaningful season . it marks the end of the year for both schools and companies , it is the time of “new encounters and new beginnings , ” as the japanese like to say . with the quickly rising temperatures , both old and young , locals and tourists , flock to see one of spring ’s most marvelous miracles : the evanescent cherry blossom , or sakura in japanese . the act of viewing and appreciating the tiny pink petals is called hanami , literally meaning flower viewing . between march and may , tokyo ’s hanami parties can be seen taking place pretty much everywhere where cherry trees can be found – but how to actually do a proper hanami ? from the weather and what clothes to wear to what to bring to the event , let’s take a look at everything you need to know to make your tokyo cherry blossom experience an unforgettable one !
in addition to contributing code , you can help to triage issues . this can include reproducing bug reports , or asking for vital information such as version numbers or reproduction instructions . if you would like to start triaging issues , one easy way to get started is to subscribe to hanami on codetriage .
torii kiyonaga ( 1752–1815 ) . hanami - zuki ( cherry blossom viewing month ) , from the series shin - yoshiwara jukkei ( ten views of shin - yoshiwara ) , between 1785 and 1789 . color woodblock print . prints and photographs division , library of congress ( 039 . 00 . 00 )
kitao shigemasa ( 1739–1820 ) . yayoi or sangatsu , asukayama hanami ( third lunar month , blossom viewing at asuka hill ) , from the series jūnikagetsu ( twelve months ) , between 1772 and 1776 . color woodblock print . prints and photographs division , library of congress ( 019 . 00 . 00 )
the most wonderful thing about being a year long student studying abroad is that i have had the opportunity to really experience all of the seasons within japan . now that spring has arrived , the flowers are blooming and it’s becoming warm enough to spend days outside having 花見 ( hanami ) with friends and family .
andō hiroshige ( 1797–1858 ) . sumida tsutsumi hanami no zu ( viewing cherry blossoms along the sumida river ) , from the series tōto meisho ( famous views in the eastern capital ) , between 1848 and 1854 . color woodblock print . prints and photographs division , library of congress ( 030 . 00 . 00 )
while the chinese prize the plum blossoms , the aristocracy of japan raised the cherry blossom to new status . the ritual of hanami — elaborate cherry blossom viewing ceremonies and celebrations with singing , dancing , and drinking — began at the imperial courts , practiced by elite classes , but commoners also celebrated in rural areas .
prepare foods , drinks , and things you need by the number of persons in advance . bring all of them to hanami spot at the day . bashotori makes your people happy if the spot is crowded . badminton sets , frisbees , or playthings entertain everyone . someone who you don’t know may become your friends .
two great friends of mine were made during hanami when a group nearby were playing a board game and invited a few of us over to play . although at first we focused on discussing the fragility of life as embodied by the fleeting presence of cherry blossoms , it quickly descended into what our favorite food and drink was .
花 ( hana ) means “flower , ” and 見 ( mi ) , means “to view . ” together , hanami literally means “to view flowers . ” 見 is a combination of the characters for “eye” and “human , ” evolving from a pictogram of a human figure with two legs and a large eyeball for a head .
gokusui no en was a typical heian period poetry even linked to seasonal changes practiced by the northern fujiwara clan . this one is recreated once a year in hiraizumi , iwate prefecture . it wasn’t a sakura - centric event but definitely influenced by china and was focused on seasonal events like hanami in the literal sense of “looking at flowers . ”
hanami really comes down to what you might consider fun . i myself love it . it’s an excellent excuse for me and my friends to get together , eat some homemade food , drink some beers , look at the flowers , and see who can last the longest with a full bladder . you know , the usual stuff for a friday night .
japanese companies often send the youngest or lowest ranking people on their teams or in their departments to go stake out prime hanami spots in busy locations at the crack of dawn . inevitably , they begin partying , often from 6 am until the main group arrives . i came across this poor fellow at noon and it seems like… well… i guess hazing is a thing in his company .
is one of the most popular events of spring . crowds of people - families , groups of friends , and groups from companies sit under the fully open cherry blossoms , usually on plastic tarps , and have a picnic celebration ( a hanami party ! ) . the picnic fare consists of a wide variety of foods , snack foods , and sake ( alcholic beverages including rice wine ,
hanami ( 花見 ) literally means
flower viewing
, however , it commonly refers only to cherry blossom viewing . cherry blossom viewing is easy : simply enjoy the intensity of the many blossoms by looking at a single tree or a group of trees . from a distance , the trees appear as beautiful clouds , while the beauty of single blossoms can be enjoyed from a close distance .
it is still chilly during the cherry blossom season which is from mid - march through early april . a body warmer is a must - have item for a hanami party . the iron powder inside the warmer produces heat . one type of body warmer is to be held in the hand to get warmth and another type has adhesive and placed it on the underwear to keep your back warm .
cherry blossoms , on the other hand , have been around with the japanese people all this time . whether it be warriors of old comparing their short lives to the brief , glorious spectacle of cherry blossom season or families , friend and coworkers partaking in “hanami” or flower viewing under a canopy of pink flower petals , the sakura is a timeless phenomenon that links the country’s past with its present .
from around late april each year , hirosaki park is tranformed into a pink wonderland with over 2 , 500 cherry trees , cherry blossom tunnels , evening illuminations , moats turned completely pink with petals , lovely picnic areas , and rental rowing boats combining to create a truly magical hanami location . if you visit between april 23 and may 5 , you will also catch the hirosaki cherry blossom festival .
one of my favorite ukiyo - e of all time , two groups of women doing hanami on goten’yama . you can see shinagawa below , the calm waters of edo bay below , and the ever present boats on premodern japan’s busiest harbor . looking out at the bay must have seemed like looking at the end of the world – and by that i mean the pacific ocean and modern chiba prefecture .
the cherry blossom ( 桜 , sakura ) is japan ' s unofficial national flower . it has been celebrated for many centuries and holds a very prominent position in japanese culture . there are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in japan , most of which bloom for just a couple of days in spring . the seasonal spectacle is celebrated with hanami ( cherry blossom viewing ) parties under the trees .
the practice of hanami is many centuries old . the custom is said to have started during the nara period ( 710�784 ) when the chinese tang dynasty influenced japan in many ways ; one of which was the custom of enjoying flowers . though it was ume blossoms that people admired in the beginning , by the heian period , sakura came to attract more attention . from then on , in tanka and haiku ,
flowers
meant
sakura .
hanami was first used as a term analogous to cherry blossom viewing in the heian era novel tale of genji . whilst a wisteria viewing party was also described , from this point on the terms
hanami
and
flower party
were only used to describe cherry blossom viewing . sakura originally was used to divine that year ' s harvest as well as an announcer of the rice - planting season . people believed in gods ' existence inside the trees and made offerings at the root of sakura trees . afterwards , they partook of the offering with sake . emperor saga of the heian period adopted this practice , and held flower - viewing parties with sake and feasts underneath the blossoming boughs of sakura trees in the imperial court in kyoto . poems would be written praising the delicate flowers , which were seen as a metaphor for life itself , luminous and beautiful yet fleeting and ephemeral . this was said to be the origin of hanami in japan . the custom was originally limited to the elite of the imperial court , but soon spread to samurai society and , by the edo period , to the common people as well . tokugawa yoshimune planted areas of cherry blossom trees to encourage this . under the sakura trees , people had lunch and drank sake in cheerful feasts . today , the japanese people continue the tradition of hanami , gathering in great numbers wherever the flowering trees are found . thousands of people fill the parks to hold feasts under the flowering trees , and sometimes these parties go on until late at night . in more than half of japan , the cherry blossoming period coincides with the beginning of the scholastic and fiscal years , and so welcoming parties are often opened with hanami . the teasing proverb dumplings rather than flowers ( 花より団子 , hana yori dango ) hints at the real priorities for most cherry blossom viewers . ( a punning variation , boys over flowers ( 花より男子 , hana yori dango ) , is the title of a manga and anime series . )
hirosaki castle : admittedly , this place is part of my bucket list of places to go but haven’t had a chance to visit yet . aomori’s most favorite hanami spot features an old castle , a large park , food stalls and , according to the recommending redditor , friendly locals . can be reached via 20 - minute walk or 10 - minute bus ride from hirosaki station on the jr ou line .
the cherry blossoms are in full bloom with the coming of spring . they burst into bloom then fall fleetingly and gracefully . it is important parts of the reason why japanese people love cherry blossoms . people also love hanami ( it means basically watching flowers ) which is a picnic under cherry blossom trees . it may be fine to focus foods or drinking without cherry blossoms , or the reason to see friends .
in the 1880’s and early 1900’s , newspapers began announcing famous spots for hanami and recommending the best times to go . the blooming of sakura coincided with the newly established school year , and companies latched on to this cycle to welcome in new hires and reinforce the commitment of existing workers’ dedication to the organization . in this way , the sakura became a symbol of birth and rebirth , rather than the fleeting existence of the samurai .
my memory of going when i lived in the city was of night - time hanami after work . the trees were pretty when lit up , and the atmosphere was great , but it would always be too cold for the women to stay long and we ' d end up the nearest chain izakaya we could get in with our group . which in itself isn ' t that bad , but is not exactly traditional flower viewing .
, hanami was an inherent aspect of the elite culture in peace time . but the tokugawa shōgunate took things a step further . they began planting cherry blossoms in ueno , where you could visit the magnificent mausoleums of the shōguns . this vast religious center was open to the public and would become ueno park in modern times . daimyō from other parts of japan brought the concept of public cherry blossom viewing spaces from edo back to their respective domains .
nighttime hanami in yoshiwara . you can see the lanterns illuminating the trees . also , notice the guy covering his head . men of prominent positions in the community , while allowed to – and often expected to – have concubines , were discouraged by the shōgunate from going to red light districts like the yoshiwara . they often covered their heads to avoid recognition . but , of course , they went . because oiran ! ! ! who wouldn’t ? ! ! 💛
utagawa hirokage was a pupil of renowned painter and printmaker andō hiroshige . the latter’s popular and comparatively stately presentations of like subject matter provide a comic spark for this envisioning of flower - viewing at asukayama . strolling revelers in the middle distance include musicians and samurai who wear blue haori jackets with loose hakama trousers . in the immediate foreground , a party of women and men reacts as a blind man inadvertently wreaks havoc on their hanami ( flower viewing ) picnic .
andō hiroshige’s hanami ( flower viewing ) scene along the sumida river is full of lively action , including a man dancing near a musician strumming the shamisen , a three - stringed banjo - like instrument . to the right another man leans forward to offer sake from a gourd container to a woman who reaches back toward him . images of the sumida river , still a famous destination for blossom viewing in tokyo , were a recurring theme in edo period ( 1600–1868 ) prints .
most japanese visit their country’s trees in groups for special cherry blossom viewings known as hanami . students visit the trees taking a half or full day off from lessons . neighborhoods organize their own viewings . companies send their newest employees to stake out areas for corporate picnicking under the trees . when the flowers burst out of their buds , the japanese people celebrate their new year with food , dance and music , emiko ohnuki - tierney , a japanese - american anthropologist , explained .
outside a small village in fukushima prefecture is hanamiyama ( 花見山 ) , a hillside park whose cherry trees were originally planted by local farmers , and grew into the hanami hot spot it is today . because it’s located in the northern region of tohoku , the trees don’t bloom until mid - april . while the park is somewhat remote , that seclusion offers a lovely mountain view juxtaposed with the blossoms . and a ¥250 shuttle bus from fukushima station makes getting there a breeze !
this brought hanami to the commoners . kabuki and entertainment in the pleasure quarters were looked down upon by the shōgunate as morally questionable , but enjoying cherry blossoms was good clean fun and people of any rank could enjoy it if they had access to the trees . of course , some of the best groves where behind the high walls of the palaces of the feudal lords in edo and of shōgun’s castle in particular , but temples , shrines , and common spaces were open to all .
having the basic knowledge on how to dress for spring and what temperatures to expect , let’s look at how to actually do hanami , or cherry blossom viewing . the timing as to when the cherry trees in tokyo are in full bloom varies from year to year , but the general timeframe is from the end of march until the beginning of april . the cherry trees first start to bloom in kyushu , the south of japan , and then the bloom makes its way towards kanto and to west japan . 2017 is expected to fall within the average blooming time nationwide . as for tokyo , the cherry blossoms are expected to come out around march 25th , based on cherry blossom reports from february 8th , 2017 . around this time , hanami can be enjoyed all around tokyo and many people gather to do just that . families , friends , and companies will gather under the beautifully blossoming sakura trees , equipped with bento , or boxed lunches , drinks , and snacks . hanami is one of the few occasions on which japanese people start to drink alcohol at noon . some of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in tokyo include ueno park , shinjuku gyoen , chidorigafuchi , and yasukuni shrine . a lot of cherry blossom spots are beautifully lit up at night , creating an almost enigmatic scenery especially at rokugien and meguro river . as breathtaking as the cherry blossom spring in tokyo is , please don’t forget that it is still march and it can get pretty chilly , so make sure to dress appropriately .
with hanami and cherry blossoms , many people say spring is japan’s most beautiful season – and indeed , there’s much to see and discover in tokyo between march and may . while you might encounter some train delays due to strong winds , the weather is generally pleasant and you’re sure to hit a perfect day for your own unique cherry blossom experience ! if you want to discover cherry blossom spots all around tokyo , both famous spots and local secrets , make sure to check live japan for more information !
kyoto’s philosopher’s path is a lovely stone walkway that follows a canal through the northern part of the city’s higashiyama district . it gets its name from a particular philosopher – nishida kitaro – who was said to wander down the path in meditation on his way to kyoto university . the path runs for about two kilometres and as well as plenty of restaurants , cafes and shops it is lined all the way with cherry trees , which explode into colour in early april – providing one of kyoto’s most popular hanami spots .
please note that there will be a long line in front of a toilet at the hanami sites . and some of the sites have no toilet . you’d better find a nearby toilet beforehand . although many of convenience stores will let you use the toilet , it is not a good manner to use the toilet without buying anything . something cheap like a pack of chewing gum or a bottle of tea is just fine , so please be sure to buy something . it is a nice way to show your appreciation .
located in nara prefecture , mount yoshino ( 吉野山・yoshino - yama ) has been a popular hanami destination for centuries . the mountain is covered by 30 , 000 ( ! ! ! ) cherry trees that bloom from early to mid april . due to the difference in elevation throughout its four main visiting areas , the blooming is staggered by a short period between the upper and lower sections . while there are plenty of places to stop and visit along the way , the view from the top must be seen to be believed !
goryokaku fort ( 五稜郭 ) is in hakodate , on japan’s northernmost island , hokkaido . a short tram ride from hakodate station will bring you to the unique , star - shaped fort , which was turned into a public park in the early 1900s . over 1 , 000 cherry trees were planted along its moats , creating one of hokkaido’s best hanami spots . blooming usually starts in early may , and the adjacent goryokaku tower offers an incredible bird ' s - eye view of the fortress that can’t be beat—though it costs ¥840 .
kitao shigemasa’s eighteenth - century hanami ( flower viewing ) party scene shows three women and a man at asukayama park—opened by japanese shōgun tokugawa yoshimune ( 1684–1751 ) , who had its famous cherry trees planted there in 1720 . comfortably arranged on a ground cover inside a partial enclosure , they are likely enjoying warmed sake . such parties continue to be a thriving japanese pastime—replete with traditional sake and picnic blankets laid out hours in advance at the best sakura viewing spots . above the image is a haiku poem describing both arboreal and human “blossoms” :
in japanese ( usually shared by word of mouth ) . this could be anything from a very local shrine to an obscure park . these places tend to have a great hanami experience without the crowds and often don’t have all the drunks shouting and laughing with each other or passing out on wherever on the ground . and while not a secret spot , some places like shinjuku gyoen have specific rules banning alcohol – though , that doesn’t actually stop people from bringing it in , but the people who do tend to be low key about it .
yeah , the only ' problem ' is with the tendency for people to have their events in the same park on the same weekend regardless of where they actually live ( yoyogi and ueno are main destinations for tokyo i think , but is true of any major park ) . a ' hanami picnic ' itself is basically just a regular picnic with nicer than usual scenery if you make a decent choice of location . it ' s as fun ( positive or not ) as any other gathering of friends / new friends over food and drinks .
last but certainly not least on our list is the takato castle ruins park in nagano prefecture , the last of the official top three cherry blossom spots in japan ( along with mount yoshino and hirosaki castle ) . located on a hill in ina city , nagano , the park is about 60 km from matsumoto ( where the “black crow” castle also provides a great hanami location ) . visit during the month of april and you’ll find yatai stalls set up all around the park for the annual cherry blossom festival , and there are lovely illuminations held every evening from sunset until 10pm .
shinjuku gyoen ( 新宿御苑 ) is a beautiful park in the heart of tokyo , just a short walk from shinjuku station . although it costs ¥200 to enter , that’s a small price to pay for the spacious lawns perfect for laying a blanket down , enjoying your favorite foods , and gazing on more than 1 , 000 cherry trees contained within , which are at their prime in early april . while hanami season can be a temperamental , fickle thing , shinjuku gyoen contains early - and late - blooming trees , which makes it perfect for those who miss the elusive prime - time viewing .
when the imperial court was based in nara in the 700’s , local aristocrats would read chinese poems celebrating the transient beauty of plum blossoms . in their gardens , each flower’s location became a new venue for poetry writing events or places to engage in other artistic endeavors , such as calligraphy , flower arrangement , and painting . the most common flowers were wisteria [ iii ] , plum blossoms , peach blossoms , and ultimately cherry blossoms which were treasured for their brief yet brilliant bloom . by the heian period , the term hanami had become synonymous with cherry blossom viewing specifically , and not just flower viewing in general .
widely celebrated in japanese literature , poetry , and art , sakura carry layered meanings . for example , because they bloom briefly , the blossoms are often seen as a metaphor for the ephemeral beauty of living . at the same time , the joyful tradition of hanami ( flower viewing ) is an old and ongoing tradition . the practice was first associated with plum blossoms before becoming almost exclusively linked with cherry blossoms by the heian period ( 794–1185 ) . with wider exposure to japanese art and culture in the nineteenth century , audiences in the u . s . and around the world embraced sakura as a particularly japanese cultural hallmark .
what is needed to do a proper hanami ? since it’s an outdoor event , you want to make sure you bring everything necessary to enjoy your time under the cherry blossoms , so let’s take a look at the must - haves : ★ food : at popular spots such as ueno park and yasukuni shrine , many food stalls sell a variety of different dishes and snacks . however , the prices can be pretty high and the queues even longer , so buying things such as onigiri rice balls , bread , sweets , and drinks at nearby supermarkets and convenience stores is highly recommended . you’ll also see a lot of japanese people bringing home - made lunches in bento boxes – if you have the option , why not try making one for yourself ? ★ picnic blanket : since cherry blossom viewing is a popular event and lots of people flock to parks and spots do hanami , don’t count on any benches being free to sit on ! as the grass and earth tends to be rather wet n this season , we highly recommend bringing a sheet or blanket to leisurely sit on without having to worry about dampness or dirt . those picnic blankets can be purchased for as little as 100 yen in various shops . or just bring one from home ! ★ tissues & wet tissues : must - haves when eating outside . while there might be public toilets at parks and shrines to wash your hands , you can expect the queues to be long . wet and regular tissues will clean your hands quick and efficient without the need to find a sink ! ★ disposable tableware : especially handy when doing hanami in a larger group of people . paper plates and cups will let you share any kind of food and drink easily without having to worry about carrying a load of tableware back and forth . disposable tableware can be found in pretty much any 100 yen shop and convenience store . ★ garbage bags : this might sound a bit weird at first but in japan , trashcans can be hard to come by , even at famous cherry blossom viewing spots . the japanese way is to bring one’s own garbage bags to collect any kind of trash , take it back home and dispose it there . also , keep the waste separation rules in mind : burnable , non - burnable , cans , and bottles . a hanami pro - tip is to use the shopping bags you might have gotten when buying food and drinks as trash bags ! some spots do have trash cans installed , but you shouldn’t count on it .