Japan Navigator

Last week the ume (often translated as plum blossoms, but in fact closer to the apricot) in the park of Osaka castle were in full bloom.

[Photo © Ad Blankestijn]

Before the sakura (cherry blossoms) became popular, in medieval times, the ume ruled supreme on the flowery firmament in Japan, as it did and still does in China. The ume is the flower of the perfect Confucian gentleman, the junzi (kunshi in Japanese): braving the cold to put out its flowers signifies its strength and endurance, its subtle aroma stands for its virtue that unobtrusively transforms society.

[Photo © Ad Blankestijn]

There were quite a lot of people out viewing the blossoms, but one thing struck me: there were almost no young people, the average age of the visitors must have been above 60… This may have been due to the fact that is was a weekday, but still… Is this a sign of Japan’s impending gray future?

[Photo © Ad Blankestijn]