Cherry Blossom Festival -- 1st Event
Day 880, 11:46
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Published in Japan 
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by
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by Japanese Holiday Association
Hanami
Hanami (花見 "flower viewing"
History
The practice of hanami is many centuries old. 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), sakura came to attract more attention and hanami was synonymous with sakura.[3] From then on, in tanka and haiku, "flowers" meant "sakura."
Hanami was first used as a term analogous to cherry blossom viewing in the Heian era novel Tale of Genji. Whilst a wisteria viewing party was also described, from this point on the terms "hanami" and "flower party" were only used to describe cherry blossom viewing.
Sakura originally was used to divine that year's harvest as well as announce the rice-planting season. People believed in kami inside the trees and made offerings. Afterwards, they partook of the offering with sake.
Emperor Saga of the Heian Period adopted this practice, and held flower-viewing parties with sake and feasts underneath the blossoming boughs of sakura trees in the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Poems would be written praising the delicate flowers, which were seen as a metaphor for life itself, luminous and beautiful yet fleeting and ephemeral. This was said to be the origin of hanami in Japan.
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.
Today, the Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami, gathering in great numbers wherever the flowering trees are found. Thousands of people fill the parks to hold feasts under the flowering trees, and sometimes these parties go on until late at night. In more than half of Japan, the cherry blossoming period coincides with the beginning of the scholastic and fiscal years, and so welcoming parties are often opened with hanami. The Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami by taking part in the processional walks through the parks. This is a form of retreat for contemplating and renewing their spirits.
The teasing proverb dumplings rather than flowers (花より団子 hana yori dango?) hints at the real priorities for most cherry blossom viewers, meaning that people are more interested in the food and drinks accompanying a hanami party than actually viewing the flowers themselves. (A punning variation, Boys Over Flowers (花より男子 Hana Yori Dango?), is the title of a manga and anime series.)
Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees! is a popular saying about hanami, after the opening sentence of the 1925 short story "Under the Cherry Trees" by Motojirō Kajii.
The Event
The Hanami event for this year will be broken into 3 small events starting with today. The event is based on the traditional outdoor party underneath the favorite Cherry Blossom trees. But with all the sake that everyone drank, memories can get a little blurry. What you have to do is guess what these blurry images are. There will be 5 images for each issue, and you’ll have close to 2 days in figuring out the answers. You ether PM the staff of the Ministry of Culture or Events or post in the thread that should be up at the time of this papers release. The rules are posted below so make sure to read them and have fun, oh and remember there are prizes for EACH mini-event winners for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, also you are able to take part in them all.
Rules
1. You can only enter answers once per event; your first entry will be your official entry, so make sure your answers are what you want before you enter them.
2. No organizations can take part only citizens of the eWorld.
3. You must turn in your answer BEFORE the next event starts, or they will not count.
4. The first 3 people to guess all right will automatically win, however if no one guess them all right then the first person to guess the most would win.
5. If you post your answer in the forums, and then later edit them, those answers will be disqualified, we will keep an eye out for forum time stamps and modifications.
6. Anyone can take part in this event, and you are able to take part in all of the 3 events, even if you already won once, you have the possibility to win them all, if you can.
1st of 3 Mini Events: First 5 Images
This event has begun on day 880 (April 18th), you must enter your answers BEFORE etime 00:00 day 882 (April 20th).
Image 1 –
Image 2 –
Image 3 –
Image 4 –
Image 5 –
Send or post answers to –
National Forums: MoC&E section
Enter Answers in Forum --
http://nipponblog.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=2333
Ministry of Culture & Events Staff
Minister - Haruhi Suzumiya
http://www.erepublik.com/en/citizen/profile/1649425
Deputy Minister – DankChronic
http://www.erepublik.com/en/citizen/profile/1261780
Graphics – Tanaka Fujimori
http://www.erepublik.com/en/citizen/profile/1600549
Hanami (花見 "flower viewing"
😉is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms or ume blossoms. From mid January to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan. The blossom forecast (桜前線 sakurazensen, literally cherry blossom front) is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (夜桜, literally night sakura). In many places such as Ueno Park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura.
History
The practice of hanami is many centuries old. 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), sakura came to attract more attention and hanami was synonymous with sakura.[3] From then on, in tanka and haiku, "flowers" meant "sakura."
Hanami was first used as a term analogous to cherry blossom viewing in the Heian era novel Tale of Genji. Whilst a wisteria viewing party was also described, from this point on the terms "hanami" and "flower party" were only used to describe cherry blossom viewing.
Sakura originally was used to divine that year's harvest as well as announce the rice-planting season. People believed in kami inside the trees and made offerings. Afterwards, they partook of the offering with sake.
Emperor Saga of the Heian Period adopted this practice, and held flower-viewing parties with sake and feasts underneath the blossoming boughs of sakura trees in the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Poems would be written praising the delicate flowers, which were seen as a metaphor for life itself, luminous and beautiful yet fleeting and ephemeral. This was said to be the origin of hanami in Japan.
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.
Today, the Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami, gathering in great numbers wherever the flowering trees are found. Thousands of people fill the parks to hold feasts under the flowering trees, and sometimes these parties go on until late at night. In more than half of Japan, the cherry blossoming period coincides with the beginning of the scholastic and fiscal years, and so welcoming parties are often opened with hanami. The Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami by taking part in the processional walks through the parks. This is a form of retreat for contemplating and renewing their spirits.
The teasing proverb dumplings rather than flowers (花より団子 hana yori dango?) hints at the real priorities for most cherry blossom viewers, meaning that people are more interested in the food and drinks accompanying a hanami party than actually viewing the flowers themselves. (A punning variation, Boys Over Flowers (花より男子 Hana Yori Dango?), is the title of a manga and anime series.)
Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees! is a popular saying about hanami, after the opening sentence of the 1925 short story "Under the Cherry Trees" by Motojirō Kajii.
The Event
The Hanami event for this year will be broken into 3 small events starting with today. The event is based on the traditional outdoor party underneath the favorite Cherry Blossom trees. But with all the sake that everyone drank, memories can get a little blurry. What you have to do is guess what these blurry images are. There will be 5 images for each issue, and you’ll have close to 2 days in figuring out the answers. You ether PM the staff of the Ministry of Culture or Events or post in the thread that should be up at the time of this papers release. The rules are posted below so make sure to read them and have fun, oh and remember there are prizes for EACH mini-event winners for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, also you are able to take part in them all.
Rules
1. You can only enter answers once per event; your first entry will be your official entry, so make sure your answers are what you want before you enter them.
2. No organizations can take part only citizens of the eWorld.
3. You must turn in your answer BEFORE the next event starts, or they will not count.
4. The first 3 people to guess all right will automatically win, however if no one guess them all right then the first person to guess the most would win.
5. If you post your answer in the forums, and then later edit them, those answers will be disqualified, we will keep an eye out for forum time stamps and modifications.
6. Anyone can take part in this event, and you are able to take part in all of the 3 events, even if you already won once, you have the possibility to win them all, if you can.
1st of 3 Mini Events: First 5 Images
This event has begun on day 880 (April 18th), you must enter your answers BEFORE etime 00:00 day 882 (April 20th).
Image 1 –
Image 2 –
Image 3 –
Image 4 –
Image 5 –
Send or post answers to –
National Forums: MoC&E section
Enter Answers in Forum --
http://nipponblog.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=2333
Ministry of Culture & Events Staff
Minister - Haruhi Suzumiya
http://www.erepublik.com/en/citizen/profile/1649425
Deputy Minister – DankChronic
http://www.erepublik.com/en/citizen/profile/1261780
Graphics – Tanaka Fujimori
http://www.erepublik.com/en/citizen/profile/1600549
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Comments
Um, can you explain what we are trying to guess. Is it the location itself or whats happening?
MoC&E! Now broadcasting in drunk-o-vision!
Voted. Answers sent in. I needed a hint on #2. It's a restaurant, but not the kind drunk sararimen puke in front of after leaving the building in a hurry to reach the last train. The parking lot makes me think it's a family restaurant of some sort...
I had problem with 4th image but I hope I wrote good answer.
Quick link to thread on the forum where you can also submit answers:
http://nipponblog.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=2333">Hanami Festival
I believe you are trying to guess what is being shown in the picture, not the location or what is happening. While there is a leeway for judging the answers keep in mind this contest is also aimed at foreigners who may not be familiar with Japan at all. If you think you can provide more details then give it a shot - we'd definitely be impressed. 🙂
Nice and very complete information! Voted~
Image 2 looks familiar to me...
KITA-san, your logic is very impressive!
Good luck to all who is playing the event!
Image 1 : 7-Eleven shop
Image 3 : video arcade
Image 4 : cosplay girl
Image 5 : bento box
image two looks like a bowling alley? "24" in circle---bowling pins on either side
Voted late, so here's hoping everyone failed 😛
This is my fault for not thinking about something I should have thought about when putting together the article.
Please try not to post answers in the articles comment area, just post in the designated thread and MoC&E staff, thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.