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Cherry Blossom Season: A Time for New Beginnings / JOMC Newsletter
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March 13, 2020
Japan National Tourism Organization |
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This newsletter series was created by the Japan Online Media Center(JOMC) to help you stay up to date and informed about all the latest news and events happening within Japan's tourism scene.
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Konnichiwa! Happy early spring, and thank you for reading our latest newsletter brought to you by Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). We're excited to share with you upcoming tourism topics here in Japan. 2020 has seen a warmer start to the year, which means that cherry blossoms are expected to appear earlier than usual. Fleeting and fragile, cherry blossoms are a key cultural motif in Japan, embodying the wabi-sabi philosophy of the beauty of impermanence and signifying rebirth. This newsletter is dedicated to the flowers that make spring the most iconic season in Japan.
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Special Notice
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In light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak around the world, the restricted areas for entering Japan have been expanded. For the latest info, please check the JNTO Coronavirus advisory page. A list of closed attractions across the country can be found at the page above or the Visit Japan account on Tripadvisor.
We recommend visiting the relevant official websites or contacting the Japan Visitor Hotline (+81 50 3816 2787), available in English, Chinese and Korean, for regular updates on the latest information. You may also find the JNTO Chatbot useful to obtain direct contact details for specific organizations.
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News from JNTO
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It's official: Spring is in the air, and it's
arriving early this year!
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Cherry blossoms, or sakura as they are known in Japanese, are forecasted to start blooming in mid to late March in Tokyo and Fukuoka and make their way up north, hitting the cooler corners of the country, such as Hokkaido, in late April to early May.
The most important factor that determines when cherry blossom season begins is climate. When the weather is mild, like this year, the blossoms open earlier; when it's colder, they open later. A typical blooming period tends to last only around 14 days.
While 14 days may seem somewhat anticlimactic, this small window of opportunity has long inspired Japanese philosophers and poets, who believe that the blossoms’ fleetingness makes the spectacle all the more special!
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Hot Assets
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The Japan Online Media Center (JOMC), hosted by JNTO, is a valuable source of Japan-related information, beautiful photos, and great article ideas. It's regularly updated and covers all facets of Japanese life, culture, and tourism. Digital assets stored on the website can be downloaded and used for your own purposes.
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Cherry Blossom; A Guide to Japan’s Most Loved Flower
To welcome in the cherry blossom season, we're featuring an article on sakura culture, sights, and customs in Japan. In the article, we dip a little into the history and different kinds of cherry blossoms. We also explore how they became so popular, as well as offer guidance on where to see them, when to catch them in peak bloom, and how to enjoy them like a local.
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User Comments
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Voyapon is a popular website dedicated to Japanese culture and lifestyle. It's read by travelers visiting Japan and local ex-pats wanting to know more about current events. The website uses JOMC assets for their feature articles. We asked Voyapon about their experience using JOMC assets for their recent article titled Hina Matsuri: A Day of Celebration For Girls.
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Interviewee(Japan)
Voyapon
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Can you tell us about the assets you utilized? |
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To write an article about the traditional Hinamatsuri (“doll festival”), I used ten pictures of hina dolls. It was immediately before the cherry blossom season, so I also used three pictures of cherry trees. |
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Why did you decide to use the assets offered on JOMC? |
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Because the pictures are good quality without looking overly commercial, which makes them easier to use in articles written by amateurs without looking out of place. |
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When creating travel content, do you find JOMC’s assets useful? |
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There are many photos of lesser-known locations, which are the more difficult ones for us to get access to personally. |
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Check the article!
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