To my daughter…
(A letter addressed to my nine year old daughter, as I am far away from her for a short period)

My dear daughter,

You know that Amma (mother) has gone to a far off place for study.  You also know that the place is called Japan, where earthquakes are felt very frequently.  I could feel the concern in your voice as I made a call to you on Saturday, you all were upset after hearing the news of an earthquake just then in Japan.  In your tiny voice you told me, that ‘Amma, we are praying”.   Oh… you must have watched on TV, the scenes of the recent earthquake in China, which happened soon after I reached here.

Oh…I started this letter to write about something I saw here which is reminding me of you very much.  Remember, the red cherries, your favourite, you always demanded for cherries, even when it was not available, and whenever we bought a box of cherries, you couldn’t stop eating before finishing the half at one go.  You are so fond of cherries. 

 
                                                        Red cherries...

You know, Amma is in the Land of cherries.  Japan is famous for cherries.  One day when I was taking a walk outside our accommodation center, I noticed small red cherries on the ground, and it was then that I noticed the large number of cherry trees surrounding the place.  I took a photo of the cherries on tree, to show you.

 
                                   Cherries smiling at you, behind the leaves!

The Japanese name for the flowering cherry is ‘Sakura’. However, to them, Sakura is not just a name or just a tree. The cherry symbolizes the national character of the Japanese. This is because the short life of the cherry blossoms became a symbol for the short life of a feudal samurai, for a samurai could be expected at any time to sacrifice his life for his master.  A saying among the Japanese is that "the cherry is among flowers as the samurai is among men".   You know, in the earlier days, Japanese warriors were called ‘Samuraies’. 

Another fact about the cherries which make them important to the Japanese is that Sakura are only native to Japan. Sakura are cultivated all over Japan, mostly along riverbanks, though there are wild trees still growing in the more remote areas of the country.

Due to their importance as a symbol of Japan, the cherries have become a large part of the culture of that nation. In the spring, during cherry blossom time, huge festivals are held as the people go to parties and quieter family picnics along riverbanks and wherever else the cherries grow. There are even resorts dedicated to this purpose alone. Businesses will have restricted hours and people forget about other concerns.  Normally, the cherry blossoms in Japan during the end of March and first weeks of April. 

Cherry blossom
 

The flowers are also edible and are preserved in salt and then made into a sort of tea which is used during wedding ceremonies to wish good luck to the newlywed couple.

Once, when you were only four years and had just started your showing interest in drawings and colouring , I saw you, painting the leaves of a tree by putting green, brown and red colours to them.  Then I corrected you, to paint the leaves with green.  I still remember your question that, “Amma, leaves turn their colour only when they fall down?”  But here I saw, a particular tree whose leaves changes colour, they are the maple trees.

                                Small maple trees

The maple tree is hailed as the most spectacular ornamental tree in all of nature.  A year round, 4-season 'traffic stopper' that flares forth in an ever-changing parade of multicolor beauty.  Very colourful and graceful is  landscapes and hills with the maple trees with multi colour leaves.

                               Colourful maple trees 

Here in Japan, landscape artists and large estate owners eagerly pay thousands of dollars for mature specimens.

Also, once we had a trip to a Japanese village, on the way, we could see the beautiful big lake called Suwa Lake under the beautiful mountain ranges and kissing the clouds. 

 
                                                      Suwa lake                         

Hope that, these small things about the beauty of the nature in Japan were quite interesting to you.  But, your sister is small, and still not tasted cherries or not started colouring with such passion as you had.  Don’t worry, when I return, I will introduce them to her by including these also in her bed time stories.

                                               With full of love and prayers,

                                                                                           Amma