Maciamo-san,Bon jour. こんにちは。Comment allez-vous?

I tried to find out why Ume (plum) is less popular than sakura (cherry) in Japan,

1.Ume is less gorgeous than sakura ,IMO.

2.Ume has a slight nagative image that they are older people's favorite.
(My granma preferred ume to sakura.If a young people say he/she loves
ume, he/she will be commented 渋い-Shibui-by their friends.)

The Kairakuen Garden in Mito,Ibaraki Prefec.is famous for huge Ume
colony.During the blooming season, millions of people visit there.
Average age of visitor is 60+, I guess

3.Sakura was used as propaganda during ww2, because sakura drops very
quickly, the then militaly authorities brain washed the Japanese that
sakura is the spirit of Japan, soldiers must die like sakura.(Don't be
afraid of death) War was over but the myth(sakura=Japanese spirit)
remained. (We need a therapist to be freed from mind-controll!)

4.Ume had been recognised as a national flower of China, so the Japanese
needed something to distinguish from them. I've learned that untill Heian
period, ume was prefferrd to sakura.

5. I don't want to have a party outside in Feburuary! It's too coooold.


I agree with Maciamo-san about the group mentality stuff. That is one of the aspect sometimes I don't like about the Japanese society. I admit that Japan may be more homogenious country compare to yours .But I think over-generalisation is not a good way to understand other cultures.
Anyway, I like Maciamo-san's point of view. It's very new to me.

-Well, It's time to go to BBQ, Au revoir!