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A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus ''Prunus'', particularly the Japanese cherry, ''Prunus serrulata'', which is called sakura after the Japanese (桜 or 櫻; さくら).〔The history and cultural symbolism of both the seven wild species and the hundreds of forms known for centuries as ''sato-zakura'', or garden cherries and information about growing and propagating is found in 〕 Cherry blossom is speculated to be native to the Himalayas. Currently it is widely distributed, especially in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere including Europe, West Siberia, India, China, Korea, Japan, Canada, and the United States.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=財団法人 日本花の会 - THE FLOWER ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=さくらの基礎知識 - 公益財団法人 日本さくらの会 - JAPAN Cherry Blossom Association )〕 Many of the varieties that have been cultivated for ornamental use do not produce fruit. Edible cherries generally come from cultivars of the related species ''Prunus avium'' and ''Prunus cerasus''. Cherry blossom are also closely related to other Prunus trees such as the almond, peach, plum and apricot and more distantly to apples, pears and roses. == Flower viewing == (詳細はume'' tree. The custom is said to have started during the Nara Period (710–794) when it was ''ume'' blossoms that people admired in the beginning. But by the Heian Period (794–1185), cherry blossoms came to attract more attention and ''hanami'' was synonymous with ''sakura''. From then on, in both waka and haiku, meant "cherry blossoms". The custom was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court, but soon spread to samurai society and, by the Edo period, to the common people as well. Tokugawa Yoshimune planted areas of cherry blossom trees to encourage this. Under the ''sakura'' trees, people had lunch and drank sake in cheerful feasts. Every year the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the public track the ''sakura zensen'' (cherry blossom front) as it moves northward up the archipelago with the approach of warmer weather via nightly forecasts following the weather segment of news programs. The blossoming begins in Okinawa in January and typically reaches Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April. It proceeds into areas at the higher altitudes and northward, arriving in Hokkaidō a few weeks later. Japanese pay close attention to these forecasts and turn out in large numbers at parks, shrines, and temples with family and friends to hold flower-viewing parties. ''Hanami'' festivals celebrate the beauty of the cherry blossom and for many are a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful view. The custom of ''hanami'' dates back many centuries in Japan. The eighth-century chronicle ''Nihon Shoki'' (日本書紀) records ''hanami'' festivals being held as early as the third century AD. Most Japanese schools and public buildings have cherry blossom trees outside of them. Since the fiscal and school year both begin in April, in many parts of Honshū, the first day of work or school coincides with the cherry blossom season. The Japan Cherry Blossom Association developed a list of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots with at least one location in every prefecture. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「cherry blossom」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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