Living Under the Cherry Blossoms: Tohoku

• Photographer
  George Nobechi

All across Japan in early spring, cherry blossoms bloom to mark the changing of seasons. For the Japanese people, the fleeting nature of the blossoms is a reminder of the impermanence of things and a symbol of rebirth. Festivals, parties under the trees and flower-gazing mark the occasion. In the colder northern regions, the celebrations are more intense as the blossoms signal the end of the long and bitter winter. In the Tohoku region, still carrying the scars of the devastating earthquake and tsunami 7 years ago, life carries on. This photo essay looks at the relationship of people to the blossoms that bring them joy, but also remind them of their own sense of impermanence.