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Sakura and Me
by Eriko Nagao
Introduction
When I think of spring in Kyoto, the first thing that comes to mind is Sakura (cherry blossoms).
During this season, no matter where you go—north, south, east, or west—you can admire Sakura. Having lived in Kyoto for ten years, I now see the swelling cherry and think, "Ah, the time has come again to fully indulge in Sakura." Even without making a special trip for Hanami (flower viewing), Sakura blooms everywhere in my daily life—during a walk in my neighborhood, on my commute, or simply within my usual routine. In other words, for Kyoto residents, as in many parts of Japan, Sakura is a natural part of everyday life.
At the same time, spring in Kyoto is also a season of collaboration—"Sakura and temples & shrines," "Sakura and Wagashi (traditional sweets)," "Sakura and Obanzai (Kyoto-style home cooking)," "Sakura and Kimono," and more. Every year, more visitors come to Kyoto than at any other time, eager to see the Sakura. In my first two or three years living here, I enjoyed thoroughly capturing these essential "Sakura and ___" moments in photos and videos, documenting them on my iPhone. However, after about four years, I completely stopped taking these kinds of photos, choosing instead to only capture the unexpected, naturally beautiful Sakura I happened to come across. But why is the Sakura, which is an everyday sight for Kyoto residents, still regarded as something so special?
Image-1 : My Morning Commute
Sakura and Contemporary Art
Speaking of contemporary art and "Sakura", what comes to mind is the large-scale solo exhibition "Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto" (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art) by contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. The exhibition’s most striking feature was the installation in the central hall. As you ascended the grand staircase from the main entrance, you were greeted by two gigantic demon sculptures, Embodiment of 'A' and Embodiment of 'Um'(both from 2014). Behind them, an entire wall was covered in an overwhelming Sakura in full bloom—a truly breathtaking sight.
While writing this column, I wanted to see Murakami’s "Sakura" again and searched through my iPhone photo library. But I found that I had never taken a single picture. I couldn’t believe it! Even more surprisingly, my husband, who visited the exhibition three or four times, also hadn’t taken a photo of that stunning Sakura.
Why did this happen? For me, the museum is my workplace. I saw Murakami’s "Sakura" display every day. Because I looked at it so often, I never felt the need to take a picture. My Kyoto-born husband said to me that "If you live in Kyoto, things like Nioh statues and Sakura are just part of the ordinally scenery—you don’t think about taking pictures of them." Maybe this is how Kyoto residents feel—it’s so normal that they don’t see it as something special.
However, when Murakami sought to express the essence of Kyoto’s spring, he chose to frame and transform the image of Sakura in full bloom into his artwork. As an artist who had been deeply fascinated by Kyoto’s long tradition of classical painters, he must have recognized, through an artist’s perspective, the beauty of Sakura as an integral part of Kyoto. His way of capturing Kyoto’s spring through "Sakura and Demon Sculptures (Embodiment of 'A' and Embodiment of 'Um')" can, therefore, be taken as his artistic interpretation of that beauty.
Image-2 : Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto, Installation view, Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, 2024
Photo: KOZO TAKAYAMA
©2024 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Sakura and Everyday Life
When I think about "Sakura" in everyday life, I am reminded of the Kataezome [1](picture stencil dyeing) artist and Living National Treasure, Inagaki Toshijiro (1902–1963) and his work Omuro Tower (1961).
Inagaki valued the everyday life in Kyoto, where he was born and raised, and expressed himself by using naturally emerging scenes and objects from his everyday surroundings as motifs. He once said: "The true nature of creation is determined by one's surroundings." In other words, his artistic philosophy was rooted in creating works that were shaped by the environment around him. What kind of springtime daily life did he capture in his work? The setting of Omuro Tower is Ninna-ji Temple[2] in Kyoto, a famous Sakura spot. Among them, the grove of Sakura known as "Omuro-zakura" is particularly famous and was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1924. These trees are characterized by their relatively short height, making the Sakura appear like a sea of clouds covering the temple grounds.
In this artwork, Inagaki depicted a young son and his fiancée walking together under the fully bloomed Omuro-zakura.
Image-3 : Inagaki Toshijiro, Omuro Tower, 1961
© INAGAKI DESIGN
Now that spring has arrived, I often come across young engaged couples having their Maedori (pre-wedding photoshoot) or Atodori (post-wedding photoshoot)[3] while at work. Dressed in their wedding attire, they stand close together, smiling as they pose for the camera, just like on their actual wedding day. Every couple looks radiant with happiness, as if they are gazing into a future full of hope.
The Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art and its surrounding areas—such as Heian Shrine and the Lake Biwa Canal—are well-known tourist spots in Kyoto and are frequently chosen as locations for commemorative photos. Especially in spring, commemorative photos featuring scenes like "Sakura and museum," "Sakura and garden," or "Sakura and Torii gate" seem to be popular. Every day, I see engaged couples having their photos taken in such settings. Perhaps the scene of "Sakura and newlyweds," which Inagaki also once depicted, has long been a seasonal tradition of spring in Kyoto.
Sakura and Seasonal Traditions
Speaking of "Sakura" and seasonal traditions, one that comes to mind is Hinamatsuri (Girl's Day) on March 3rd. It is a custom where Hina dolls are displayed to celebrate and wish for the growth and happiness of children. When displaying Hina dolls, we usually decorate them with Sakura and Tachibana (the Orange tree), but we often wonder which side to place them on. This custom originates from Kyoto Gosho (Kyoto’s Imperial Palace). The south garden of the Shishinden Hall has a Sakura tree on the east side and a Tachibana tree on the west side. Because the palace guards, Sakonoe and Ukonoe, were stationed near these trees, the saying "Sakon no Sakura (the Cherry Tree on the left) and Ukon no Tachibana (the Orange Tree on the right)" was born. In other words, when arranging the Hina dolls, representing Otono-sama (the Emperor) and Ohina-sama (the Empress), the correct placement is to position the Sakura on their left and the Tachibana on their right. Both Sakura and Tachibana have traditionally been regarded as talismans against evil, and in the Heian period, they were believed to possess spiritual power within the imperial court.
Shishinden, the hall where important imperial ceremonies took place, is open to the public year-round, so you can visit it anytime. During the special spring opening, you can also enjoy courtly cultural performances such as Gagaku (ancient court music) and Kemari (traditional ball game). Additionally, the Kyoto Imperial Palace is known as a hidden gem for flower viewing in spring, where cherry blossoms, plum blossoms, and peach blossoms bloom simultaneously.
As a side note, when talking about the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kyoto locals often jokingly (but somewhat seriously) ask, "When will the Emperor come back?" It is a common phrase. Kyoto had been the capital from 794 to 1869, and it has been about 150 years since the capital moved to Tokyo. However, for Kyoto, which had been the capital for nearly 1,000 years, it feels as though the Emperor has only been away for a short while.
Now, speaking of Hinamatsuri, the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art houses the painting Daughters (1935) by Kitazawa Eigetsu (1907-1990). It depicts sisters enjoying the festival, exuding an elegant and graceful atmosphere. On the Mousen (red felt carpet) in the painting, peach blossoms are arranged, and the same carpet features depictions of an Inuhariko (papier-mâché dog) and the hems of the Hina dolls' kimono.
Image-4 : Kitazawa Eigetsu, Daughters, 1935
The female painter Kitazawa Eigetsu, originally from Kyoto, moved her base to Tokyo at the age of 53 in 1960. After relocating, she was told, "You are the only one who can paint women from the Kamigata region (old term for Kyoto and Osaka)." Taking this as a divine revelation, she became more aware of her identity as a Kyoto woman and continued to paint women from Kyoto throughout her life, despite residing permanently in Tokyo.
At the age of 28, while living in Kyoto—where her artistic roots lie—she had her work Daughters selected for 1st Shiten for the first time. In this piece, in the display of Hina dolls, instead of using Dankazari (the tiered display style) that was prevalent in Tokyo, she adopted Hirakazari (the traditional flat display style of Kamigata), which features an Inuhariko[4], a rare sight in tiered arrangements. The artwork subtly conveys a sense of Kyoto’s characteristic Ikezu (a local term referring to a somewhat sharp or teasing attitude). Additionally, rather than Sakura or Tachibana, she chose to depict peach blossoms. This suggests that for Kitazawa Eigetsu, who lived as a Kyoto woman, peaches might have felt more representative of Kyoto than Sakura.
Epilogue
"Sakura" is the national flower of Japan and is loved by Japanese people throughout the ages. The weather news give its bloom forecast every year, and it is also used for coins and banknotes. And for those who live in Kyoto, Sakura in spring are a part of everyday life. They take pictures of Sakura, but they don't often take sightseeing commemorative photos such as "Sakura and ___". This is because they are landscapes in everyday life. On the other hand, artists and tourists from Japan and abroad feel that they are exceptionally beautiful sights, cut them out, transform them into extraordinary things, and spread them through their works and photographs. In ancient times, the Ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai depicted Sakura in full bloom on the Togetsu Bridge at Arashiyama in Yamashiro, from the series Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (Shikoku meikyō kiran) . In this way, "Sakura and ___", which symbolizes spring in Kyoto, continues to be chosen as a universal motif throughout the ages. Through this, Kyoto's "Sakura" will remain as special among all people.
So why do Kyoto's "Sakura" continue to be cut out as a special sight by artists and tourists even after the passage of time? What is its appeal?
To find out the answer, why don't you actually visit Kyoto in spring?
* The images 1 and 4 included in this article were taken by the author with permission for photography. Images 2 and 3 have been used with permission from the copyright holders. All images may not be reproduced or used for secondary purposes.
Eriko Nagao
Curator at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art.
Graduated from Musashino Art University and earned a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. Since 2019, she has been working as a curator at the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, where she organizes exhibitions primarily featuring the museum collection, utilizing contemporary art methodologies—her area of expertise. Key exhibitions she has curated include "250 Years of Kyoto Art Masterpieces Prologue: Origins of the Collection" (2020), "Dialogues with the Collection: 6 Rooms" (2021) (Curated rooms featuring Aiko Miyanaga and Kohei Takahashi), "Collection Room Special Display: Body, Decoration, and Humorous" (2022), "Collection Room Special Display: Inagaki Toshijiro － The Playful Mind"(2023) and "Collection Room Special Display: Women Painted by Women" (2024).