![\"Shikoku](\"https:\/\/img.historyjp.com\/2022\/01\/242618472668374eb32c2538bf73fbc3.jpg\")
\nShikoku Road Takegashima Cherry Blossoms<\/a>Whenever spring arrives in Japan, it always brings the sakura (cherry blossoms) with it. Sakura are a symbol of Japan and cherry blossom viewing parties are usually held throughout the country starting in late March into early April. Everyone has probably seen sakura petals dancing in the air at least once and have heard songs written in the lyrics of many Japanese songs. Although cherry trees are so commonplace in Japan, most Japanese have probably never heard about the origin of the word.<\/p>\n\n
Many linguists support the theory that the suffix \u3089(ra) was added to the verb “\u54b2\u304f” (to bloom) to form \u3055\u304f\u3089 (sakura), which came to mean “blooming like a beautiful flower\u201d. Another theory is that the word sakura stemmed from the word (\u4f5c\u52b4) \u201csakuro\u201d, which means \u201cto labor\u201d. It has also been said that the word “sakura” is a transposition of similar characters referenced in various Japanese literature such as Princess Sakuya (\u30b5\u30af\u30e4\u59eb\uff09, Sakihaya (\u54b2\u5149\u6620), and Sakuru (\u88c2), and according to Japanese folklore, sakura is referenced came from the god of rice, Sa, who comes to visit and is enshrined into the altar (kura) during springtime.<\/p>\n\n
In any case, the kanji character for sakura [\u685c] was first used in the eighth century compilation of the book NIHONSHIKI and came to be associated with the emperor’s feasts. Today, the word is generally used to refer to the deciduous cherry blossom tree that is a part of the rose family.<\/p>\n\n
The word sakura also has a second meaning: \u201cto disguise\u201d. In this context, a sakura is a person or a group who pretends to be a customer at a street stall to deceive customers into buying cheap items at a much higher price. They can also pretend to be an audience member by clapping their hands and cheering to help liven up the audience for the performer on stage. However, how and why this meaning of sakura came to be is still unknown.<\/p>\n\n
Sakura petals and “Yaezakura” (eight-layered cherry blossoms)<\/h2>\n\n
Cherry blossoms commonly only have five petals. Some sakura trees have more than six petals, and some have dozens of petals. However, sakura trees with six or more petals are called “yaezakura”. There are sakura trees with even more than 100 petals that are also called yaezakura. Eventually, any sakura blossoms with countless petals have come to be known as yaezakura.<\/p>\n\n Some dictionaries state that the word yaezakura is a variant of \u201cyamazakura\u201d as it was first found in a poem fromthe MANYOSHU ANTHOLOGY. There is also a theory that \u201cyaezakura\u201d is an abbreviation of “yaezaku sakura” and when \u201cyaezakura\u201d was actually first used is unknown. However, in the late 12th century, Fujiwara no Teika used \u201cyae saku\u201d and \u201cyae sakura\u201d in his poems that can be found from his SHINKOKIN WAKASHU (New Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry).The oldest example of the use of this \u201cyaezakura\u201d can be found in Fujiwara no Teika\u2019s \u201cIroha poem\u201d.<\/p>\n\n Yaezakura also means that the overlapping beautiful petals cover the view of the scenery so much that even the background is hidden. This is because cherry blossoms bloom once a year at the start of the season, but the petals fall off within a few weeks after they are blown away by the wind. Therefore, the word yaezakura also contains a secondary meaning of \u201cbeing hidden\u201d and \u201cvanished away\u201d.<\/p>\n\n One theory assumes that the kanji character for the number 8 (\u516b) was used to express the fact that the petals disperse to the “ends of the eight directions,” as was written in the Chinese history book the HISTORY OF THE LATER HAN. However, the theory does not explain how the pronunciation changed to yae. The most logical interpretation of the etymology for the Chinese characters \u516b\u91cd “yae” (eight-layered) reading came from the God of Israel “Yahweh,” in the Old Testament.<\/p>\n\n\n
Yaezakura<\/a>Sakura blossoms exemplify the beauty of the blooming sakura trees. The word “yae” (eight-layered) is used to describe a cherry tree with high-volume blooms that open up beautifully to welcome in the next spring season. In other words, the many cherry blossom petals that cover the tree look as if there are eight overlapping petals. Because the tree produces beautiful blossoms with eight even layers of petals, the word “yae” somehow combined with “sakura” to create the newer word, “yaezakura”.<\/p>\n\nThe historical background of \u201cyaezakura\u201d<\/h2>\n\n
Why eight petals and not seven or nine?<\/h2>\n\n
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<\/a>The most common type of cherry blossoms have five petals, but anything more than five are called \u201cyaezakura\u201d. So then, why are cherry blossoms called \u201cyaezakura\u201d no matter how many petals they may have? Since cherry blossoms can fill an entire landscape as if it were snow, perhaps, they were grouped together under the first word “yae” to describe the overlapping petals. Furthermore, why is “yaezaki” (eight) used but we don\u2019t use “nanaezaki” ( seven-petaled) or “kokonoezaki” (nine-petaled) cherry blossoms? There must be a reason as to why the word \u201cyae\u201d has become a general term for six or more petal blossoms.<\/p>\n\nYae was read as “Yaa-heh\u201d in Archaic Japanese<\/h2>\n\n