🌸🍁🌸🍁 Contemplating the Seasons: The Grace of Hanami and Momijigari in Japanese Art

Kasane
May 4
2 min read

In Japan, each season is a quiet celebration. Spring brings the delicate bloom of cherry blossoms, while autumn wraps the landscape in deep reds and golds. These fleeting scenes have long inspired poets, artists, and those attuned to nature. Among them, the 18th-century painter Suzuki Harunobu beautifully captured this spirit in his print Cherry-Blossom and Maple-Leaf Viewing, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The beauty of what passes

In Japanese aesthetics, transience is not feared — it is honored. A falling petal, a crimson leaf — each marks the gentle passing of time. Harunobu’s print doesn’t freeze nature; it holds a fragile, ephemeral moment. The two mirrored scenes — spring and autumn — invite us into a space of stillness, what the Japanese call mono no aware: the subtle emotion stirred by impermanence.

A mirrored scene of quiet presence

What stands out in this work is its serenity. The figures say nothing. They observe, they feel, they exist in the moment. This is the essence of hanami (cherry-blossom viewing) and momijigari (maple hunting): not activities, but experiences of presence. Harunobu paints not just nature, but our way of being with it — calmly, with awe, and with quiet reflection.

When everyday art becomes cultural treasure

Originally, ukiyo-e prints were everyday art for Edo’s urban class. But Harunobu elevated them into poetry. Through soft lines, muted tones, and graceful balance, he captured something timeless. His work, once seen in the streets, now hangs in the world’s great museums, still whispering its message: beauty lies in simplicity, and in moments we barely notice.

A dialogue with nature

These scenes go beyond art. They reflect a profound relationship with the natural world. To observe the seasons is not merely to watch them pass — but to realign ourselves with time, to feel its rhythm, and to embrace what cannot last. Japanese art invites us to slow down, see more, and sense deeply.

A living tradition — worn close to the skin

Even today, hanami and momijigari bring people together across Japan. In parks and gardens, people gather to celebrate the season. But the connection goes further — into what we wear. The kimono, with its seasonal motifs — cherry blossoms, maple leaves, autumn grasses — becomes a way to carry the season on one’s body.

Vintage kimonos, in particular, preserve this spirit. Each piece holds a story: of season, era, and craftsmanship. Wearing one today is more than a nod to the past — it’s a quiet way to celebrate the present, and to keep a uniquely Japanese way of living alive.