HOW TO HANAMI

HOW TO HANAMI (the word Hanami can be used as a verb, right? )
lAlso the title ‘How to Hanami’ makes me sound like a complete know-it-all, yes? Well.. I’m not …but I have hanami-ed many times and many of those times was with colleagues as well as friends. So.. I should really call this post – “How I Hanami – lessons that I’ve learned through trial and error.” But that’s just a bit of a mouthful so I’ll stick with what I got.

My advice is mostly made up of handy hints and Hanami-ettiquette tips.
I’m sure some other long termers might think I’m being a bit too detailed here. But …meggghhh? Being polite when I’m invited to a cultural event in someone else’s home country? That’s important to me.

Hanami, basically, means a picnic under the cherry blossom trees.

To me, the Hanami season feels a little bit like the Christmas party season in Australia. One session with friends, one session with colleagues, one session with different friends, one session with family and/or extended family.

Everyone really lets loose at Hanami. But , my friend, don’t be fooled. This is almost always the most carefully organized and curated event you may have ever been to. The day itself is fun – but … I have to always keep my giggles to myself with all of the organization-related texts and planning that goes into making the actual day full of food and booze and drunken fun. You’ll see what I mean.
The organization involved used to make me feel annoyed and I, actually, used to find it all slightly condescending. As if I was being told exactly how to prepare for a 5 year old birthday party – but as a grown adult!!
But that was just culture shock talking. Go with it – it’s all worth it.
And you know what? All that organization all really pays off. Everyone is fed. No-one is left out. No one is taken for a ride financially.
It’s a nerdy and organized blast!

WHEN INVITED…
First of all, if you’re invited to Hanami (yay! It’s awesome) then the first thing you need to ask is what shall you bring (which would be pretty standard if you were invited to a picnic in any part of the world yes?)
1. Sharing the work load and the cost: I found that either one person organizes the majority of the food and the other jobs are then delegated amongst everyone who will attend and then the cost will be split evenly and you will need to give your portion of the cash on the day. (Note: even if this is the arrangement, it is still polite to bring something small to share as well. ). Some Hanami parties have given everyone a specific list – ie. “You bring ice, salad and bread” etc. ..
2. Everyone brings food and alcohol to lay out and from everyone to share. And if this is the case, its a good idea to ask what other people might bring so you won’t overlap (ie. to make sure it isn’t all chicken based dishes etc.)
Want to know a cheat secret? I also find that one kind of fresh produce presented beautifully goes across really, really well. Simple and fresh, right?

You might be surprised as to the different types of way different groups do Hanami.
Some people bring a gigantic pot of curry rice to share. Some people barbecue. Some people buy everything from the convenience store on the day. And fun fact? Most pizza places will deliver right to your Hanami spot too? Im serious ! Directions are like… “Third tree from the fence near the entrance”. Hilarious, yes?

If you’re picnicking in a very popular spot – its a good idea to ask who will be reserving the spot for everyone. Some spots allow one party representative to place down the picnic rug ahead of time to come back later. But other places require someone to sit at the spot until Hanami begins. If you have time, you can offer to sit with that person – if not? You owe that person a beer when you get there- they’ve earned it, man.

WHAT TO BRING….
When you are deciding what to bring, the best received food options for me have always been something home-made (doesn’t have to be Japanese food) and , in fact, Japanese people are almost always up to trying foods that they have never tried before – so something from your home country or an usual spin on a familiar meal is always well appreciated.
If you’re not much of a chef it is totally okay to buy something but, it is best to re-plate that meal on a tray or in a large Tupperware case.
Also, remember that you will need to provide disposable or non-disposable plates and spoons etc to suit your meal. For example, if you bring a risotto or pasta bake – you’ll need to bring deep bowls and cutlery OR if you bring a large thermos of soup – you’ll need deep cups or soup bowls.

When it comes to drinks, I haven’t been to Hanami where we have split the cost of drinks – everyone has always brought their own. Although most people bring more than they want to consume so they can share if they decide to.
But I have heard of some uni students splitting the cost of drinks too.

I would advise bringing some garbage bags. Hanami go-ers are to take all of their own rubbish home. So it’s best to be prepared.

Also, wear easily slip-on & off shoes. There is a tarp or picnic mat set on the ground for Hanami and the shoes stay around the outside and its a shoes-off zone on the inside.

I recommend packing your own picnic mat even if there is one going to be provided. I’m from Australia and, when we picnic, we usually do it on a lovely plush rug but, in Japan, it is better to have a plastic sheet (in Japan they are almost always called Picnic Mats or Leisure Mats) that can be wiped down if someone drops food or spills a drink. You can buy small sheets at the 100 yen or 300 yen shops. Even the convenience stores will sell some small options at this time of the year.

THE DAY OF HANAMI ….
I know its nerdy…but, as it is a weather dependent activity, you need to confirm by text on the morning of.

Upon arriving at the site, (also nerdy and sounds weird but… ) the polite thing to do is to praise the person who chose that spot – even if it isn’t that good – its just the ‘right’ thing to do. More than that… it’s just the kind thing to do.

Like anywhere in the world, wait for the first kampai (cheers) til you take that first sip (duhhh)
And then make sure you open up your food and then offer it around a couple of times throughout the day.

Apart from that – like any party anywhere? Just relax and have fun. Mingle! People watch (the people watching at Hanami is seriously awesome)

Sorry to be a total Mum but… give yourself lots of time ahead before you actually need to pee – if you’re in a popular spot? You’ll probably need to queue for a little bit….

IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE EARLY…
If you need to run away before everyone else wants to pack up, makes sure you thank the organizer and take your own dishes etc home. It’s also polite to take a bag of rubbish with you to make it easier for others packing up at the end.
If some of the food that you brought is still to be eaten – the polite thing to do – of course – is to leave it there for others -unless they really insist.

HANAMI ETTIQUETTE
The actual blossoms are a very important part of Japanese culture. The drinking and eating under the trees might seem casual but you will be extremely unpopular if you grab the flowers, shake the branches, climb the trees, take off the flowers.
It’s kind of common sense , but many foreign tourists are giving us all such a bad wrap.

IF YOU ARE TAKING KIDS TO HANAMI….
A lot of people seem to wonder if Hanami is appropriate for children. It totally is! I know some people worry as there is usually lots of open drunken falling over, falling asleep stuff going on.
The good news is – Japanese people rarely bother other Hanami-goers outside of their group and I very rarely see aggressive drunks. Seriously – most just seem to fall asleep and their friends just pass food over their sleeping bodies or take a photo or two.
But, if it really worries you, I suggest choosing one of the parks that doesn’t allow alcohol at all (Shinjuku Gyoen is one of them.)

I also think its a really good idea to check with the person who invited you that you can bring your kids. It might seem weird at the time to have a picnic in the middle of the day with just adults… but lots of people do that all the time during this season. Best to check and be sure.

If you are going with kids and other people’s kids will be there too – once again – bring things that you can share with other kids. Easy examples are a wide selection of breads from a local bakery? A platter of different sandwiches? A nice selection of juice boxes with lots of different flavours?

When packing with kids – its also a good idea to bring a few games or things to help make the day last a bit longer before they get bored. You’ll need to check the park rules if you are thinking about bring sporting goods or a pop-up tent – as some parks don’t allow that. Same goes for scooters and bikes.
I usually take colouring, board games, figurines and playdoh and lots of bubble wands.

If your kids are old enough to play out of immediate reach – I recommend writing your phone number on a piece of paper and putting it in their pocket – just incase. Hanami sessions are full of people and almost everyone has those same, ugly, blue tarps and it can get tricky to find your group again if you wander away – even for adults.