Virtual cherry blossom – how to indulge in “hanami” from your sofa
Chris Carter enjoys the cherry-blossom blooms of a Japanese spring from his locked-down London home.


Every year in the spring millions of people across Japan stop to indulge in a spot of hanami – gazing at the cherry blossoms flowering on the trees and pondering their transient beauty. The pandemic spoilt the party last year and this year looks to be a repeat performance. But if you can’t get to Japan, the next best thing may be to bring Japan to you. That’s why the National Trust, together with Historic England and local councils, and with funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery, is planning to go on a cherry-tree-planting spree, spreading the pink blossoms to “some of the greyest urban areas”.
Starting with the creation of a London Blossom Garden at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London, the plan is to spread a riot of colour to Nottingham, Newcastle, Plymouth and beyond. As an editorial in The Times puts it, “such an emphasis on appreciating the serenity offered by simple pleasures is one of the many traditions to admire in Japanese culture”. The trouble is, it will take around five years to bring the plan to fruition.
A virtual guide to Japan
Happily, all is not lost for this year. Japan Rail Pass has put together a handy “virtual” guide to enjoying Japan “while stuck at home” at jrailpass.com/blog/japan-virtual-travel. It lists links to online videos and live cams covering such tourist hotspots as Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya Crossing, made famous by its appearance in countless films. There is also a link to the Japanese Weather News website and its 360-degree virtual tours. If, like me, your Japanese isn’t quite up to scratch, simply run the page through Google Translate to render it into English, and you will be free to explore on YouTube blooms from places such as Ueno Park in Tokyo and Osaka Castle. These videos can also be watched in 360˚ virtual reality if you have a VR headset.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Of course, Japan is a big, or rather long, country, so the cherry blossoms, or sakura, don’t all arrive at the same time. On Japan’s four main islands, the sakura arrives in the south around now, before travelling north to where the climate is cooler. Then it takes around a week for the blossoms to reach mankai (full bloom), lasting just a few, splendid days.
Britain won’t be the first country to import this ancient Japanese custom. Washington DC and Vancouver are also well known for putting on spectacular sakura shows. This year, Washington’s National Cherry Blossom Festival is launching a “Bloom Cam” so people can engage in hanami from home. The blossoms are expected there in early April. The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival will be working with Peacemaker Filmworks to “create a visual experience unlike anything seen before” towards the end of the month. Keep an eye out for it here.
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.
Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.
You can follow Chris on Instagram.
-
London Stock Exchange gets go-ahead to run Pisces private stock market
The Pisces market will allow investors to buy and sell shares in private companies. But how will it work, when will it launch, and who is allowed to use it?
-
Could landlords face National Insurance on rental income?
The Treasury is said to be considering a tax increase for landlords in an attempt to boost revenue in Rachel Reeves’s Autumn Budget
-
Are wealthy whisky enthusiasts leaving Britain?
Collectables Wealthy whisky enthusiasts are heading to tax-friendly countries such as Dubai, where there is more disposable income to spend on collectable luxuries like rare whisky.
-
8 of the best properties for sale with kitchen gardens
The best properties for sale with kitchen gardens – from a 17th-century timber-framed hall house in Norfolk, to an Arts & Crafts house in West Sussex designed by Charles Voysey with a garden by Gertrude Jekyll
-
8 of the best properties for sale with shooting estates
The best properties for sale with shooting estates – from an estate in a designated Dark Sky area in Ayrshire, Scotland, to a hunting estate in Tuscany with a wild boar, mouflon, deer and hare shoot
-
How to invest in the travel industry's boom as tourists get back on the road
The travel industry is in rude health despite uncertainty about the global economy, Trump’s policies and geopolitical concerns. Investors should buy in now
-
Review: an adventure through the Swiss Alps to Lake Como on the Bernina Express
Travel Louise Okafor stays at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland and the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Italy
-
Review: Palé Hall, Bala – a wonderful weekend in Wales
Travel Palé Hall in northwest Wales is a charming country house hotel from which to explore Snowdonia National Park and Lake Bala
-
8 of the best houses for sale with dining terraces
The best houses for sale with dining terraces – from an Arts & Crafts property in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, to a duplex apartment in a garden square in Kensington with a decked roof terrace
-
Review: NEW Hotel, Athens – putting the old city in the frame
Travel The NEW Hotel’s vibrant decor makes for an artistic stay in the old of Athens