A lone plum blossom, one of the first of the season. I added the texture to isolate it and highlight its beauty.

Japan loves the cherry blossoms the most, and one can get a good idea why—it's usually warmer, for one, as the cherry blossoms are around April but the plum blossoms are around Feburary—but for my money, the plum blossoms are best. They have a delightfully sweet fragrance, the flower itself is lovelier, and it is often less busy outside to see them.

Japan didn't always love cherry blossoms best. The plum blossoms (or ume blossoms) are the favorite in China and are one of the country's most beloved symbols. They are so loved in part because they bloom when it is still winter and are seen as a symbol of the coming spring. They symbolize perseverance and hope, beauty, purity, and the transitoriness of life.

Early Japan copied this love of the plum blossoms, but around the Heian Period (794–1185) things started to change and the cherry blossoms gradually became more popular.

Many of you may be familar with hanami (花見, literally flower-viewing). It is almost always used to mean cherry blossom viewing, or in otherwords, going out and enjoying the cherry blossoms (often with snacks and alcohol). Although not as common, you will also see people going out to enjoy the plum blossoms on days when the weather is a little warmer.

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku.

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