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The beginning of April is Hanami season in Japan and I don't think it's any sort of exaggeration to say that the Japanese (and foreigners) look forward to this time of year more than any other.

The hanami (sakura and plum trees in full bloom) are stunning. I was lucky enough to see them in my own area, as well as near Tomida Stn., and then in Kuwana, Kyoto, and Koyasan (Wakayama Prefecture). It's very popular for people to go in groups to parks for a picnic under the trees. This generally includes lots of food (sometimes even a BBQ!) and alcohol. I went to three or four of these picnics and they were all a great time!

Some places even have a special festival to celebrate the hanami. Near Tomida Stn. on the Kintetsu Line the sakura trees line the river and they'd set up a bunch of stalls along the path where you could buy food or candy. I took a ton of pictures on my camera and phone (and posted them here!).

The best part about hanami season though is that the weather is finally nice. It's not as cold at night anymore, your hands don't ache from washing them in cold water, and it's actually sunny! Unfortunately that means that rain isn't too far off. We had a decent storm a few days back and most of the sakura trees are now flower-less. Their blooming season is really only 1-2 weeks at most though so it goes by fast.

Hanami season also signifies the start of the new school year. Unlike in the West, the Japanese school year is 12 months, from April till March, with breaks in the summer, winter and spring. My classes resumed last week and I got a new group of first years. So far things are looking great! I had a funny moment last Friday when a bunch of the first year boys came up to me after class and showed me their dictionary. The screen read "Did he hit on you?" and then they pointed to my new JTE who happens to be a young-ish guy. I had to laugh. Little shits. I can tell that class is going to be fun though.

Now that the weather is nice my social schedule is packed to the hilt. I've got something going on pretty much every weekend through till July. Whew! It's going to be an exhausting summer but a fun one too.

Hope everything is going good at home. Talk to you guys soon!

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