Journey to the Cherry Blossoms

Immerse yourself in a scintillating world

Cherry blossoms are the symbol for the power of renewal – the old that has passed gives way to the new – pure and beautiful. Miki Sakamoto describes how modern Japan emerged from the completely isolated Japan of the 19th century. Her grandmother Nao was one of the last samurai, and her modest values of purity and clarity live on in her children and grandchildren to this day. In stunning tableaus, the author brings to life the transformation of Japanese culture over four generations, giving us unique insights into the vibrant traditions of a country that often strikes us as alien.


Miki Sakamoto was born in 1950 in Kagoshima, Japan, into a distinguished family from the province of Satsuma. She studied classical Japanese and Chinese literature in Tokyo and cultural anthropology at Munich University, and wrote for various newspapers in Japan. In 2005 her collection of poems Precious Moments was published, and 2007 saw the publication of the volume Forest Times (in collaboration with Josef H. Reichholf), as well as Munich, City of Freedom. The author has been living in Munich since 1974.