Sakura season is a time to celebrate new beginnings. On the first day of the school year, our lab had our lab hanami. We bonded in front of the beautiful sakura (or cherry blossoms) over music.
We welcomed three new members to our lab: Mana is going to do her undergraduate research here, whereas Ryuhei and Sabrina are joining as Master’s students. Kai and Ren are advancing into PhD program, whereas Kozue and I are advancing into the Master’s program. Also, Naoto is starting his new job at AIST! Moreover, some of our members are tying the knots with their beloved ones. Last but not least, Yokoyama sensei’s birthday was also in early April. Happy birthday!
Hanami is a custom in Japan which is literally translated as flower-watching. Sakura plays such an important role in Japanese culture, and is a common theme in arts and poetry. Even I had to learn to sing the Cantonese version of the song “sakura” when I was a middle school student in Hong Kong. I cannot help wondering the origin and reason behind hanami as I wrote this blog. so I asked some fellow labbies (how we call students under Yokoyama lab). One said it’s because they bloom in masses, so it’s pretty. Another one said that it’s just an excuse for people to get drunk. I read somewhere that it is related to the concept of
mono no aware (物の哀れ), the awareness of impermanence. Sakura blooms so beautifully, but it only lasts for a few weeks or even less every year. This reminds people that everything in life is precious and short, and we shall live it to the fullest. I wonder if the same concept will remain if humanity cracks the code for immortality one day.
As requested by Yokoyama sensei, Evan and I brought our instruments to the hanami. Evan’s taiko (Japanese drum) performance was professional, kakkoii and full of vigor. Jian, Bethany and Yokoyama sensei also played with his taiko. The kids passing by seemed like they wanted to try too! We had a tiny acoustic karaoke as well with guitar. It seems that there are many performers in Yokoyama Lab with a variety of performing styles including Noh, piano, guitar, bass taiko, ukulele, kalimba and so on. We also have a bunch of shared instruments in room 700. During breaks, we sometimes experiment with different instruments when we are not out there playing baseball, frisbee or soccer. Perhaps we can form a band and join the annual concert organized by Kashiwa Library one day!
