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In a previous article, we looked at the some of the special things which happen in Japan during the month of March (see the link below).  It is a time of transition from winter to spring, and the days slowly get longer -- although temperatures can sometimes remain pretty cold.  March is the end of the fiscal year as well as the school year.  Schools in the Yokosuka area will have a 12-days-long spring vacation (春休み, Haru-yasumi) starting in late-March through early-April.  So, during that time, local parks and shopping centers, etc., will be full of kids.  Plum trees will have been blooming since mid-February, and towards the end of March, they will be replaced by the arrival of cherry blossoms (桜, Sakura).  In fact, Japanese TV programs and newspapers will focus on when and where the Sakura flowers will bloom.  In general, the cherry blossoms first start coming out in the warmer parts of western Japan and then move/proceed to the east and north.  This "movement" is reported using a meteorological term as the "Cherry Blossom Front" (桜前線, Sakura zen-sen).  Japanese people want to know when cherry blossoms will bloom in their areas so they can make plans to gather under the Sakura trees for "flower viewing picnics" (花見, Hana-mi).  Of note, March is also a prime season for the harvest of super delicious strawberries (イチゴ, Ichi-go).  If you click on the Tsukuihama Tourist Farm link below, you can learn about how to go pick your own strawberries at a location not very far from Yokosuka Navy Base (CFAY).  Finally, the main Japanese national holiday during March this year occurs on the 20th -- it is called Shunbun-no-hi (春分の日), i.e., the Vernal Equinox.  We hope you will enjoy living in Japan during March but be sure to watch the weather news and be aware of when the windy rainstorms will arrive.   Written by Goodfield                

LINKS:

March in Japan

https://us.iino.cc/blog/blog.html?eid=00019

Tsukuihama Tourist Farm

http://Tsukuihama Tourist Farm