It’s the cherry blossoms season!

che1We all have been waiting for this season. The cherry blossoms, at last!

Why do the Japanese have such a strong emotional attachment to cherry blossoms?

Probably the secret lies in the clear cut four seasons in Japan, and the cherry blossoms signifies beginning, or maybe departure, in our minds.  In Japan, school year and the fiscal year begin in April and end in March, so that life-events such as graduation and  employment coincide with the cherry blossom season.

You would be surprised to hear that virtually all Japanese companies, listed on the stock exchange, employ new-graduates as of April 1st and hold an employment ceremony on that day.  I am not joking.  It’s one of the “standard practice” conducted by the Japanese companies.