Have you noticed blossoms appearing across London lately? They are lovely.
There is a tendency to focus on the spring ones but these ones are as special. In fact,
Did you know that in Japan, the quiet arrival of early plum blossom at the end of the year is read as a promise of spring?
This is why they are used as kadomatsu decorations and displayed in front of buildings and homes during the New Year period.
A few years ago we went to New Year's hatsumōde, the first prayer of the year and it was beautiful to see everyone bring their branches along.
It was then I learnt that the blossoms are part of a practice to mark the threshold between one year and the next.
(Confession... Because of the renewal meaning of blossoms within Japanese culture, I never quite understand when people use blossoms in "Japanese inspired interiors" as a permanent decoration. )
