By Simon Rowe

NOBLE and alluring in life, glorious in death. The brief life of the sakura, or cherry blossom, mirrors that of a samurai warrior, say the Japanese.

Which probably explains why, from late March to mid April, almost the entire population at some stage heads for the nearest castle park, mountain or riverside with bento and bottle in hand to admire the cherry tree blossoms before they are washed away by the spring rains.

Visitors to Japan around this time may catch all the fun at any one of these venues:

Sumida Park, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Best viewing: Early April
Access: Subway Ginza line Asakusa Station
Free admission

Hana means "flower" and mi is "to view". It has been a city tradition as far back as any Tokyoite can remember to celebrate hanami with a glass of sake beneath the cherry trees of Sumida Park. Located east of the historical Asakusa district, you'll find cherry trees lining each side of the Sumida River for one kilometre.

Ueno Oncho Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Best viewing: Early April
Access: JR Ueno Station Uenopark Exit
Free admission

From late March, many sakura otaku - "cherry blossoms maniacs" - throw their first hanami parties in Ueno Park, where more than 1,000 cherry trees line the main boulevard, which leads to the National Museum and iconic Shinobazu Pond.

Togetsu Bridge, Arashiyama, Kyoto
Best viewing: Early April
Access: Hankyu Arashiyama Station
Free admission

The origins of hanami are said to date back to the seventh century when the blooming of cherry blossoms was considered an accurate indicator for the condition of the coming harvests. Full blooms would signify a bountiful rice harvest and this would be cause for celebration among the merchant classes, who would kick up their heels with concerts and fine kimonos.

A whiff of the ancient still lingers beside Togetsu Bridge, where farmlands and gardens mingle in the Mount Arashiyama region. Known also as the "Moon Crossing Bridge" for its elegant design, the bridge is a popular blossom-viewing spot, so it is advisable to arrive early.

Himeji Castle, Himeji City
Best viewing: Early April
Access: JR Himeji Station, walk 10 minutes north
Castle admission: 500 yen (S$8.40).
Free admission to San-no-maru

Himeji city's fishermen, farmers and steel workers take their days off around this time to picnic at Himeji Castle, the 400- year-old white castle built by shogun Ikeda Terumasa. It's an impressive backdrop to the San-no-maru Park with its 1,000 cherry trees. Don't miss the first weekend of the full bloom when a grand tea ceremony is held in the park with melodic backing of 110 harpplaying women wearing kimonos.

Kofukuji Temple, Nara-city, Nara
Best viewing: Early April
Access: JR Kansaihonsen line Nara Station
Admission: Adult: 500 yen, child: 150 yen

By the end of the 17th century, the hanami parties in Japan's ancient capital had become popular across all social classes. These days, too, in the stately surrounds of Kofukuji Temple, it is not uncommon to have a band of well-liquored truckers on one side of your picnic blanket and a group of Camelpuffing executives on the other. Seek some solace and fresh air in the shade of the temple's 50m high five-storey pagoda while taking in the blossoming trees of nearby Sarusawa Pond.

Cherry blossom viewing at Ueno Park.

Osaka Castle Nishi-no-maru Garden, Osaka-jo Chuo-ku, Osaka
Best viewing: Early April
Access: Subway Tanimachi line Tenmangubashi Station
Admission: Adult: 200 yen

Even if you arrive early at Osaka Castle, you may find many of the prime picnic spots snapped up. Savvy company bosses often send their new employees out early, sometimes at sunrise, to stake a claim for the departmental bash. This explains the large number of young men in suits snoozing away the morning hours on vast blue picnic sheets while they wait for their senior colleagues to arrive with trolleys laden with beer, sake and bento boxes.

Osaka Mint Bureau, Tenman Kita-ku, Osaka
Best viewing: Mid April
Access: Subway Tenmanbashi Station/ JR Osaka Tenmangu Station
Free admission

The sakura motif tattoo has long been a dreaded symbol of Japan's most active criminal organisation, the Yamaguchi mob. But don't expect to meet any gangsters at the Mint Bureau. It is open to the public for one week when the trees blossom. It boasts more than 120 varieties of cherry trees. Try for a spot on the banks of the Yodo River, a 15 minute-walk from Kyobashi, Sakuranomiya, Temmabashi train and subway stations.

Goryokaku, Hakodate city, Hokkaido
Best viewing: Early May
Admission: Adult: 630 yen, child: 310 yen

Hokkaido is the last island in the Japanese archipelago to experience spring, but from late March until mid May, the colour pink will dominate everything from Sapporo beer labels and bento box wrappers to department store window displays and neck ties, as the islands get ready for hanami season. Join the festivities with bento and beer under one of 1,600 cherry trees in the grounds of the Goryokaku, a pentagonal fort built during the Edo period (1600-1868).

This article was first published in The Straits Times Special. It is produced by the Special Projects Unit, Marketing Division, SPH.