What don't Japanese people do?

           What do Japanese people do? This seems like simple enough question to answer. They go to school, play sports, work and during their free time they do karaoke or if its the right time of the year they do hanami, cherry blossom viewing. I'd say this is an accurate answer to this question, but even if the majority of Japanese people do these things its not nearly as important as to why they do these things.

            It is difficult to just put in a few pictures and words what Japanese people do, but I figured I'd focus two aspects. One that can be easily enough  compared and contrasted, birthdays, and the other being very unique to Japanese culture, hanami, cherry blossom viewing.

           Birthday's in Japanare celebrated in as many ways as they are in other countries. You can spend it with your family, friends, significant other, or just alone. You can through a party or make it more intimate with a few people.

These pictures are from my friends surprise birthday dinner last weekend, 4/7/12, at a restaurant in Namba, Osaka. She thought that she was going to spend the night with her boyfriendand a friend, but she didn't know that it was actually going to be a surprise.

All of the Japanese girls actually studied abroad in my school, FIU, in the U.S. We all actually met in since they all did their study abroad different universities in Japan. She was surprised when her Japanese friends came to spend time with her on her birthday, even more so when the American girl and myself were there to surprise her as well. Japanese people study abroad learn other languages make friends across the country and surprise each  other like everyone else does.

 

These second set of pictures are of something very unique to Japan, Hanami. I was fortunate enough to have been studying this spring semester in Japan and able to do hanami. Since most of Japan experiences the four seasons I feel that they have a deeper appreciation for nature. There is a very short window of when you are able to do cherry blossom viewing, lasting for about a week or two. I think this reminds Japanese how beautiful life is but at the same time how delicate and short it is too. http://sakura.weathermap.jp/

During these two weeks of hanami Japanese and tourist go to many popular spots where they can enjoy and appreciate these the cheery blossoms. I'm sure that many people wouldn't think that tree watching is the most ideal way of spending a day or two, but there is more than just viewing the trees. During this time many friends and families go out together looking for the best spots to sit under a tree and lunch. These two last pictures are of Japanese people sitting underneath the Sakura trees enjoy their hanami sake, liquor, and there picnic style lunch while having conversation with their friends and appreciating this beauty of nature.