The Japanese are fond of poeticising the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossom season, which no sooner reaches its full glory than is gone, leaving behind nothing but bare branches, scattered petals, and a sense of wistful regret and nostalgic yearning.
It’s the theme of countless haikus and mournful folk ballads.
But if the cherry blossoms themselves soon vanish, the cherry blossom party scandal, currently vexing prime minister Shinzo Abe, is proving as worryingly hard to remove as Japanese knotweed.
It’s in danger of turning into a Japanese version of Watergate.
The annual prime minster’s cherry blossom viewing party is a tradition going back to 1952. Public funds are used to support the event which customarily sees around 10,000 distinguished political, business and cultural luminaries invited to mingle in the idyllic shade of Shinjuku-Gyoen park, partaking of sweets and light refreshments.
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