Hanami parties along the Kamo River, 2005. [Photo/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

When the spring rain comes and the cherry petals float to the ground, people celebrate and cheer, happy to enjoy the showers of so called "cherry rain". The people are not sad that the flowers fall as it is a reminder of mortality and the fragility of life, with some Japanese saying that the cherry blossoms life cycle serves as a poignant reminder of how life itself is fleeting.