四季折々、さまざまな花が咲きますが、「花見」と呼ぶのは桜を愛でるとき。南北に長い日本列島は、桜の種類も開花の時期も異なります。地元で、あるいは旅をして、美しい桜を眺め、その下で食事（弁当）をいただきます。
Various flowers bloom throughout the four seasons, and “Hanami” is when you can admire the cherry blossoms. The Japanese archipelago, which stretches from north to south, has different types of cherry blossoms and different blooming times. Locally or on a trip, you can look at the beautiful cherry blossoms and have a meal (bento) under them.
江戸や京都・大坂など都市部ではすでに江戸時代前期において上野や醍醐など多くの花見の名所が知られており、花見はもうこのころには人々の間に定着していたようである。
元来、花見は単なる遊山を目的としたものではなく、春の農作に先がけ、定まった日に集団で山籠りして共同飲食をするという、信仰的要素の濃い行事であったとされている。
国史大辞典
Many famous cherry blossom viewing spots such as Ueno and Daigo were already known in the early Edo period in urban areas such as Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka, and it seems that cherry blossom viewing had already become established among people by this time.
Originally, cherry blossom viewing was not just a recreational activity in the mountains, but was an event with strong religious elements, in which a group of people would huddle together in the mountain on a set day and eat and drink together, prior to spring farming.
