Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. She also shares her interpreting adventures and the interesting things she has encountered in the course of her work.
Spring has sprung here in New York, and over the weekend I got to enjoy お花見 (ohanami, or cherry blossom viewing) at Roosevelt Island. My previous post talked about the treasure trove of sakura sweets that you can find in Japan, and of course I brought those souvenirs from my trip to our ohanami picnic.
I hadn’t been to Roosevelt Island since 2019 when I was last there for a 桜祭り (sakura matsuri, or cherry blossom festival). At that time I remember having to wade through dense crowds and being surprised by the number of attendees. This weekend was not an official event, so although there were many sakura-seeking day trippers there were plenty of available benches (though the ones by the most beautifully blooming trees were already taken). I also saw a huge Japanese group who had spread their blankets on the grass for Japanese-style ohanami (one of them was even using the familiar massive blue plastic tarp!).
I love the way the light ray is shining down through the trees in the above photo, and it also shows the different types of trees and colors that are featured. The blooms might be past their peak by now, but with the unusually warm weather we’re enjoying this week I think it’s still worth a trip. Roosevelt Island is just a quick ride from Manhattan via the tramway, and can also be accessed by the F train. Happy ohanami! 🌸
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