When we Japanese see the cherry blossoms,
we think of many things...
The parting of dear friends,
the graduation ceremony,
the transfer of colleagues at work,
the meeting of new people,
the entrance ceremony,
and the anxiety and excitement
of starting something new...
Cherry blossoms are very special
to Japanese people,
and it seems to be imprinted in our minds.
It blossoms last for only about two weeks,
but during that time,
many complicated emotions swirl around.
I wonder if that's why Japanese people
love cherry blossoms so much.
In Japanese,the word "Cherry blossom(sakura)" is used
as a metaphor for many things.
Cherry blossoms bloom(sakura-saku) =
passing the exam, wishes come true,
Cherry blossoms fall(sakura-chiru) =
failing the exam, or misfortune happens.
That's how close it is to the Japanese people's hearts and lives.
In Japan, entrance exams are held
in the middle of winter because students start school
in spring.
but through COVID-19,
there was a discussion
that entrance exams should be held
in September, the same time as in other countries, because it is more risky to hold them
in the middle of winter.
I agree with that, but if that were to happen,
as a Japanese, I would feel that it would
be a somewhat unsatisfactory spring.
