The four seasons are spring, summer, fall, and winter.  Like other regions in the world, northern parts in Japan tend to have cooler summer and colder winter while southern parts have hotter summer and milder winter.  That is because Japan is long from north to south. 
 
Japan has enjoyed the four seasons for over 1000 years; we can know that from many writings and poems talking about the seasons.
 
Today I focus on spring because I think the season is special to Japanese people.
 
In winter time, people wait for spring. The Japanese has made many poems about longing for beauty of spring.  In spring, many flowers started to bloom.  Especially, people are waiting for pink color of Sakura (=cherry blossoms). 

Sakura is a symbol of the beginning of spring and has a magic that makes Japanese people crazy for it. It blooms only for a week, so the beauty doesn’t last long.  But, since the length of Japan, sakura trees started to have flowers in southern parts first, then, move up to north gradually and smoothly.
 
In other words, sakura paints the color of scenery from south to north, and people feel full of joy with a new painting around them.
 
Cherry trees change their appearance through the year; after falling flowers, dark green leaves starts to grow and thrive with sunshine in summer time.  In fall, those leaves change their color to red and yellow, and at the beginning of winter (December), they fall, and trees become naked.
 
In some northern areas, sakura trees are covered with a thin layer of snow.  They look like they will not come back to life. 
 
However, a new life cycle starts in trees even in winter.  While people are waiting for spring, they are prepared for the season silently. 
 
Sometime in March, we can see their little green balls as the size of little blueberries.  Yes, they are flower buds.
 
In March, winter is nearing an end, and people’s feelings for spring is becoming bigger and bigger. With the expectation, buds are also waiting for a moment to open.
 
In April, some trees in southern parts finally show their pink color a little bit.  Then, other trees follow.  On one day in spring, those trees enjoy showing their cheerful colors to people, and the wave of the pink goes toward north.
 
That is a re-born cycle of sakura trees along with changing seasons, and people enjoy that.  They love scenery in all seasons, but spring is special to Japanese people.
 
That is because April is a beginning of a year in Japan. 
 
All school starts at the beginning of April, and 6-year-old boys and girls have to walk to school with their senior students by themselves.  That is usually their first trip without their parents.
 
With the joyous feelings of spring, many people step into new things.  I still can remember all my school entrance ceremonies were always with cherry flowers in full bloom.  Thus, sakura has been always combined with my excitement.
 
Many freshmen leave their parents’ houses for college, and new graduates join companies on April 1.  In April, we can see many people’s faces with mixed feelings of expectation and anxiety. But they are ready for new challenges. 
 
In Japan, it is spring that many people change their lifestyles as well as a new flower cycle.  The beautiful season brings us anticipation for future.  Sakura and people’s expectation are intertwined under the sunshine in spring.
 
Whenever I see sakura in spring, I always feel that I am so lucky to be born in this country.
 
Do you feel how much people in Japan are waiting for spring and sakura blossom?
 
Today, you will learn the word: [春：はる]　“ha-ru”.  It is spring in Japanese.  To pronounce Japanese “r” sound, your tongue has to touch the ceiling but not teeth.  Once you do that, release it quickly.  It is like a sound in the middle of English “r” and “l” pronunciation.
 
Thanks for reading!

If you live in a city in Japan, you will not have to buy tissue paper often. That’s because we are given.

 
To explain this, I’m going to describe “one morning of a weekday.”
Let’s say I get through several train stations to reach my office.
 
First, I arrive at the closest station by bus. Then, there are usually a couple of young people in front of the station. Saying “dou-zo (pronunciation: dough-zo[ne]),” they are giving me a pocket-size tissue package.
 
Do you remember the meaning “dou-zo”? Yes, it is “this is for you,” so I receive it. I usually don’t even say, “thank you.” Maybe we should, but nobody says.

 The reason why we don’t say anything is that a tissue package is an advertisement. A variety of advertisements are printed on the plastic exterior, or sometimes, there is a small sheet of paper with an advertisement in the package.
 
So, we can get free tissues on the street. Usually, people don’t want to receive any advertisements on the street, but if they are free tissues, yes, we will!
 
The young people offering tissues are part-time workers and keep handing out tissues to commuters. They receive tissues without a word because we walk very fast in the morning, and by the time we receive it, we already have passed in front of them. It is like passing a relay baton.
 
Then, I get on a train and after 3 stations, have to change trains. I get out of the train station, see another person who is giving tissues again, and receive one. After 50-meter walking, I reach the subway station and put my electric train pass on an automatic ticket gate.
 
After 5 stations, I finally arrive at the station to get off. Then, I go up stairs. Again, there are two ladies who are giving me a tissue package.  Of course, I get it.
 
O.K.  Now is the time to do math. How many pocket-sized tissue packages do I receive during morning commute?
 
Yes. 4 packages! Imagine that you do this 5 times a week. Even though you have an unlucky day that you cannot receive any, you still have enough to use up.
 
Sometimes, I stop by more stations for shopping on the way back. Then, I get more. That’s why I think we don’t have to buy tissues if we live in a city. I always collect them to save money.
 
I’ve been to 14 countries so far, but I have never seen free tissues with an advertisement on the street outside Japan. Hhmmm.. Is this only in Japan?  I really wonder.
 
If you see somewhere, please let me know.
 
Today, you need to review this word “dou-zo (dough zo[ne]),” meaning “this is for you.”
 
Thanks for reading!