The flowering cherry tree holds a unique position in Japanese culture. Cherry blossoms, known as sakura, embody many different symbolic representations. Their brief beauty symbolizes the transient nature of life. I remember reading some years ago a note that a kamikaze (translated as divine wind) left to his family during World War II. Before he left for his suicide attack, he reassured his beloved ones that they should not be unhappy or sad because he would 'fall like a blossom of a cherry tree'.
James Whitlow Delano took some amazing pictures of the cherry trees after the tsunami in Japan. You can see them at the lensblog of the new york times.
