Without fail, passersby stop to crane their heads and admire the few early cherry blossom trees in full bloom at Tokyo's Ueno Park.

One girl leaps into the air giggling as she tries to touch a branch of the tree. Many snap pictures on their cellphones, while others stand and silently stare, taking in every petal of their frail beauty.


Cherry blossom viewing, or hanami, holds a special place in the hearts of the Japanese. It's a time to reflect on the fleeting nature of beauty and life.

The blossoms, or sakura, do not bear fruit. They last a mere week before they wither and fall to the ground. News agencies alert the Japanese to the peak cherry blossom viewing time.

When in bloom, the flower-heavy boughs form pink cloud-like canopies over entire swaths of parks. The Japanese vie for space on the ground to place their plastic tarps, then sit for hours to drink and eat in the company of friends.

This year, no doubt, the hanami season will be tinged by this proud nation's triple tragedy.

Japanese possess 'ganbare'

But perhaps it is more important than ever for the Japanese people to take that time to reflect - and gather together with their loved ones.

I just hope that in the months and years to come, our attention won't be as brief as the hanami season.

I lived here for two years, teaching English in a remote mountain village in Tochigi prefecture north of Tochigi. West of the disaster zone, it too was hit, though not as hard.

Leaving this unique country back in 2004 was hard. Leaving now when the country is reeling from the quake, tsunami and nuclear crisis is even harder.

But I am comforted by the strong Japanese "ganbare" - a hard-to-translate concept that in the simplest translation means "don't give up" and "keep trying." It's often yelled as a word of encouragement during sports or in trying times.

It is an everyday statement that is even more common and meaningful now.

So too is the highly respected trait of "gaman." Dictionaries define gaman as patience, endurance and tolerance. Perhaps it would be best summed up in the European "keep calm and carry on" post-war posters now enjoying a resurgence back home.

Rise from the ashes

On the opposite side of the spectrum is the reviled trait of "meiwaku," which means annoyance, nuisance and trouble, and often refers to those too selfish to consider the group.

These concepts are at the core of Japan's ability to come together and power through that has been the focus of so much media attention since the Tohoku quake and subsequent tsunami hit on March 11, .

Though there were a few reports of looting and scam charity agencies, it was nothing near the amount seen in the days following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and earthquake in Haiti.

Family and community are the foundation of this society. The group rules over the individual. And the past is just as important as the future, with many homes containing Shinto shrines where they pay homage to their ancestors.

These characteristics will serve the Japanese well during their recovery, as they have in past tragedies.

As one person I interviewed said they have risen from the ashes before and they will do so again.

Of this, I have no doubt.

by Amber Hildebrandt of CBC