Double-flowered cherry blossoms

　Double-flowered cherry blossoms (Yaezakura in Japanese), which bloom about one to two weeks later than the Somei-Yoshino variety, are now in full bloom all over Kyoto.

　The sight of the petals layered upon one another is particularly elegant at night. In Japanese, ‘yaezakura’ literally means ‘double-flowered cherry’, referring to the eight petals that overlap. The number ‘eight’ is considered auspicious in Japanese culture and is often used to signify many. Whereas the Somei-Yoshino cherry has five petals, the double-flowered variety typically has ten or more, with some specimens exceeding 100 petals.