Story of Sakura (cherry blossoms)
What a strange thing to be alive beneath Cherry Blossoms- haiku by Kobayashi Issa
As the stories of cherry blossoms are trending on our timelines, we decided to venture into the cultural and scientific relevance of these trees in one place they are most popular in, i.e., Japan.
Japan, the country of the rising Sun, derives deep cultural significance from its surroundings. Cherry blossoms or Sakura [Prunus serrulata] deeply influence the lives of people in Japan. For starters, the blooms mark the start of spring and this change in season is celebrated as the festival Hanami (look blossoms!).
“Hanami is dedicated to the cherry blossoms, a celebration that is conducted by the end of March or the beginning of April. During this time, there are excursions to places where the cherry blossom trees flower, where people not only meet with their family or friends but also gaze at nature and reflect on the ephemeral character of life” - Gilberto Mejía Salazar, The Cherry Blossom and its Influence on Japanese Culture
The tradition of admiring flowers was adopted from the Chinese during the Nara period (710-794 AD) and was used by rice farmers to mark the change in season to start paddy farming. Over the years, the Hinami tradition became popular amongst artists, poets, and aristocrats and spread throughout the archipelago.
Today millions of tourists visit Japan to view cherry blossoms and the traditional festival. However, many phenological observations (study of the synchronization of developmental stages of plants and animals with the seasons) and mathematical models have warned about the impacts of climate change on blossom duration and occurrences. A 2006 study by Kyung Hee University suggests that the spatial flowering date has been significantly shorter by 5.2 days for the period between 1971- 2000 than in earlier decades. They also predict that in the coming decades, the onset of flowering will be earlier by 30 days. Dramatic shifts in the flowering times of cherry trees will also have implications for economically important cultural festivals in Japan and East Asia.
Cherry flowers are very sensitive to small changes in temperature. For instance, insufficient chilling during spring affects the breaking of bud dormancy and may cause incomplete flowering in some places. The polyamine concentrations in buds also determine their late or early blooming.
The extracts from eastern varieties of cherry flowers, especially, P. serrulata, have been savored as salted tea, popularly known as Sakura-cha. Cherry blossoms are immersed in Japanese plum vinegar to extract antioxidant components such as cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, and caffeic acid. Researchers at Kyungnam University, Korea found that these extracts had the potential to inhibit DNA damage due to oxidative free radicals and hydrogen peroxidase. Today, these findings are also extrapolated by the cosmetic industry for the anti-aging properties of Sakura. Glycation and oxidation reactions cause the destruction of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin in the skin. Studies conducted by Oryza Japan revealed Sakura extracts inhibit the accumulation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts [AGEs] that cause aging.
Source: Sakura Extract Catalogue Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical Co., Ltd
Alas, like other species belonging to the genus Prunus (apples, apricots, almonds, peach, and plum), the petals also contain traces of cyanide and should be consumed with caution.