The arrival of spring in Japan is marked by the blossoming of the cherry blossom trees, known as sakura in Japanese. Every year, people flock to local parks to sit under the blooming flowers and have picnics, as the flowers fade away after about two weeks. The trees are so iconic that they're often featured in anime to signal the spring season and the start of a new school year. It's also common for girls to be named Sakura, such as the titular character from Cardcaptor Sakura and the pink-haired kunoichi from Naruto, or to be named Sakurako, with ko being a common feature of female Japanese names.

Nowadays, sakura are more popular than ever; they're commonly planted outside schools, in parks, at shrines and temples, and at gravesites and cemeteries. Seasonal foods like sakura teas and even KitKats are created to celebrate the flower. It's common to have sakura designs for weddings and other celebrations, as they are a sign of new beginnings and possibilities. In anime, they are often shown when a character begins at a new school or a new academic year starts, so much so that it's become a trope reference in other media. They have become a sign of good luck and fortune.

kagome from inuyasha in front of a cherry blossom tree

At one point in time, sakura flowers were a symbol of fragility and a quick end because of how suddenly they bloom and fall. It was common to refer to relationships that ended quickly after forming as sakurazame -- the time when the flower falls from the tree. From around the Feudal Period to the beginning of the Edo Period, sakura flowers were considered bad luck because of their fragility, especially in terms of romance and marriage.

Part of the reason for these negative feelings toward such a beautiful pink flower could stem from a morbid legend. Similarities between death and cherry trees have been a part of Japanese literature for years, but few could imagine how close the two could be. It has been said that dead bodies are buried beneath sakura trees. In one short story, "Under the Cherry Tree" by Motojiro Kaiji, the opening line states, "Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees!"

The origin of this legend is unclear, but many associate its start with this story. It's speculated that the line is a reference to hanami, or flower viewing, but some think it's more literal. The line became so popular and well-known that it was used as the basis for the title of the series A Corpse is Buried Under Sakurako's Feet, also known as Beautiful Bones: Sakurako's Investigation.

You and Me promo image featuring Shun, Yuki, Yuta, Chizuru, and Kaname under the cherry blossoms.

This association with death comes not only from how quickly the flowers come and go but also how early samurai tended to die. Because samurai were expected to give everything to their lords, adhering to a strict moral code, they tended to die fairly young. They were supposed to hold their heads high and die with honor on the battlefield. If they were accused of breaking their moral code, they were expected to commit seppuku, slicing themselves across the stomach. Because of the short lives of these samurai, sakura became associated with them and would later become the iconography of kamikaze fighters in World War II, who were likewise meant to give up their lives for their emperor.

Despite how beautiful the flowers are, there will always be this haunting association with death in the back of many people's minds. The historical and literary melding of sakura and death has become so ingrained that there's a bittersweet feeling when looking at the petals as they fall. They are a sign that life is fragile and can end suddenly without warning. They are a symbol of how fleeting life can be, and how people should therefore enjoy the time they have left with the people they love.