Cherry Blossoms

Finally! In a long-awaited sign of spring, cherry blossoms reach peak bloom on U of T's St. George campus

geoff.vendeville — Thu, 05 May 2022 16:21:15 +0000

Finally! In a long-awaited sign of spring, cherry blossoms reach peak bloom on U of T's St. George campus

geoff.vendeville Thu, 05/05/2022 - 12:21

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From left to right: Yi Huang, Bing Li and Marry Xuan take photos of the cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Geoffrey Vendeville

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Our Community

Robarts Library

Cherry Blossoms

Faculty of Arts & Science

Undergraduate Students

With the exam period wrapped up, and a long, snowy winter now firmly behind us, Bing Li and her friends met outside the ��Ƶ's Robarts Library this week to take pictures amid a blush cloud of cherry blossoms.

The first-year student, who has yet to declare a major, struck poses atop a folding chair against a backdrop of pink petals.

“It's my first time seeing cherry blossoms,” said Li’s friend Yi Huang, who is in her third year studying statistics and actuarial science.

The undergraduate students were among a small crowd who wandered under the library's cherry blossoms on Thursday morning, taking in the view and snapping pictures for Instagram.

“The spring is bringing people back,” said Marry Xuan, a second-year student who is majoring in health and diseases and cellular and molecular biology. Yingxi Zhu, a fourth-year student majoring in math and statistics, even wore a matching pink plaid skirt and floral earrings for the occasion.

Onlookers gather beneath a canopy of cherry blossoms at Robarts Library (photo by David Lee)

U of T received many of its Japanese cherry trees – known as sakura – from the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto as part of its Sakura Project. They have brought a dash of colour and sprinkle of joy to the St. George campus each spring since 2005.

The library planted 15 new cherry trees within the last year, bringing the total to 55.

In April, Michael Cassabon, director of advancement at U of T Libraries, attended a 10th anniversary event celebrating the end of the Sakura Project at the Japanese consulate.

“We celebrated this as an enduring symbol of friendship between U of T and the Japanese government,” Cassabon said, adding that U of T Libraries is home to important Japanese Canadian archives, including materials on the redress movement, a grassroots attempt by Japanese Canadians to hold the Canadian government accountable for human rights violations during the Second World War.

Each spring, Cassabon said he need only look out his window to be reminded of U of T's friendship with Japan.

“There's something magical about it,” he said. “They're right outside my office. When I look outside it's like I'm in a pink cloud.”

Cindy and Connor Ewing, both assistant professors in the Faculty of Arts & Science, take a stroll with daughter Margot and dog Buckley (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Cindy and Connor Ewing, both assistant professors in the Faculty of Arts & Science, went for a stroll under the pink blossoms with their newborn daughter, Margot, and eight-year-old dog, Buckley.

Whether seeing the cherry trees in High Park or at U of T, the sight of the blossoms each spring doesn't get old, according to Connor. “It's special... it's a sign of spring,” he said.

The pink cherry blossoms offer a striking contrast to the soaring concrete and glass exterior of Robarts Library (photo by David Lee)

Hana Kim, director of U of T's East Asian Library, said seeing peak bloom this year was extra special after the long and ongoing fight against COVID-19.

“I feel that the pastel colours give me healing power and hope,” she said. “I feel more hopeful about the future during this uncertain time.”

The cherry trees also remind Kim of the viewing rituals she took part in as a child in South Korea.

“Cherry blossom viewing is very popular in East Asia,” Kim said. “It marks the arrival of spring. In spring, people there often gather and families unite for cherry blossom viewing, which has been practised for a long time. Many celebrations and festivals take place during the blooming season. The cherry blossom generally represents a time of renewal and optimism.”

Avoid the lines at High Park: Five fascinating things to consider before viewing U of T's cherry blossoms

Romi Levine — Mon, 06 May 2019 16:39:52 +0000

Avoid the lines at High Park: Five fascinating things to consider before viewing U of T's cherry blossoms

Romi Levine Mon, 05/06/2019 - 12:39

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Cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom outside of Robarts Library on the downtown Toronto campus (all photos by Romi Levine)

Topic

Warm spring weather means the cherry blossoms outside of Robarts Library at the ��Ƶ are finally blooming.

The 70 Japanese cherry trees, also known as sakura, were originally given to the university as a gift from the Consulate General of Japan in the early 2000s. They’re now an annual showpiece, attracting visitors from across the city who snap countless selfies with the photogenic backdrop.

There are also 50 cherry blossom trees at U of T Scarborough between the H-Wing and Social Sciences building.

When you go to check out the blooms, you’ll be participating in a tradition that’s over 1,300 years old – and one that now spans the globe.

U of T News went to the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library to speak with librarian Fabiano Takashi Rocha about the history and culture of cherry blossom viewing. Here’s what we found out:

History of hanami

Flower-viewing parties – events where people gather to view tree blossoms – date back to the 700s, says Rocha.

While they are associated with Japanese culture, the first events of this kind were believed to have taken place in China, he says, but with plum blossoms instead of cherry.

In Japan, the custom, known as hanami, first took place during the Heian period, which began in 794. The event was initially exclusive to the aristocracy, but by the 1600s, during the Edo or Tokugawa period, hanami was enjoyed by the elite and commoners alike, says Rocha.

You may recognize the work of famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai from “Th e Great Wave off Kanagawa ,” but he also painted other scenes of Japanese life and nature, like this one, featuring cherry blossom trees. Both works of art are part of a series called “Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji”

Picnic in the park

“In many ways, Japanese cherry blossoms and hanami became part of the national identity,” says Rocha.

Today, he says, Japanese families, friends and co-workers flock to groves of sakura to have picnics under the trees, either with food they prepare themselves or bento decorated with cherry blossom motifs sold by vendors at some of the bigger parks.

“It's an opportunity for people to bond and enjoy the very ephemeral beauty of the sakura, which is there for a very limited amount of time,” Rocha says.

Kanpai!

Along with lunch, Rocha says it’s tradition to drink sake, Japanese rice wine, during hanami.

“The first time I did a cherry blossom viewing in Japan, they said if you hold your sake cup and if a petal falls into your cup, that’s a sign of good luck,” he says.

Japanese artist Andō Hiroshige captured cherry blossoms in bloom outside Kyoto’s Kyomizu Hall in the 1800s, printed here in the 2007 book Meisho Edo hyakkei: hizō Iwasaki korekushon

Deeper meaning

What draws people to cherry blossoms year after year? Rocha says it’s more than just their beauty.

“It’s because of the transience,” he says. “You know it’s not going to be there for a very long time, so you want to enjoy as much as you can. There’s a connection to the cycles of life – you know death is probably inevitable but while you’re alive you should be enjoying the beauty of life.”

Cherry blossoms are, indeed, only in bloom for a short period – about four to 10 days.

Cherry blossoms appear in literature as well as art, says Rocha. Here, a woman is depicted attaching a poem about her lover to a sakura that reads “On meeting again, there will be sorrows / How fleeting are the cherry blossoms”

Blossom biodiversity

There are over 200 species of cherry blossoms, says Rocha.

The most common type is the Yoshino, he says, which is the kind you will see outside of Robarts.

Most sakura are cultivated by people, but there are some that grow in the wild. They include the Yamazakura, which often grows in Japan’s mountainous regions.

Snapped a selfie with cherry blossoms at Robarts or U of T Scarborough? Share it on social media using #UofTBlooms for a chance to be featured on U of T channels.

Cherry blossoms and black holes: Check out these May events

Romi Levine — Wed, 01 May 2019 16:14:22 +0000

Cherry blossoms and black holes: Check out these May events

Romi Levine Wed, 05/01/2019 - 12:14

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Cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom outside of Robarts Library (photo by Noreen Ahmed-Ullah)

Romi Levine

Topic

City & Culture

Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

School of Cities

Art Museum

Cherry Blossoms

Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Faculty of Arts & Science

Rotman School of Management

Science Rendezvous

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

April showers have brought May flowers as the cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library begin to bloom. But the Instagram-worthy foliage isn’t the only event getting people excited at the ��Ƶ this month.

May is full of fascinating events – from city-wide science, architecture and photography festivals to talks by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and a researcher on the team who captured the first-ever image of a black hole.

Here is a selection of events taking place on all three campuses this month:

May 2

Kids can learn about what it’s like to work and study at U of T at Bring Our Children to Work Day. The annual event invites appointed faculty, librarians and staff to bring children in Grades 4 to 7 for an exciting day of activities. Registration is now closed but you can find out more about the events on the downtown Toronto, Scarborough and Mississauga campuses.

Faculty and students from U of T, York, Ryerson and OCAD have been working together on a research project exploring affordable student housing in Toronto. The group will be presenting some of their findings at StudentDwell+: Reimagining Student Housing, a two-day symposium held at York University.

Donna Strickland, Nobel Prize in Physics recipient for 2018, will be delivering the Welsh Lecture in Physics at U of T. She’ll be talking about her award-winning work on ultrashort optical pulses.

Hear from Harvard University’s Peter Galison, a member of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, about what went into capturing the historic image of a black hole, at an event presented by U of T’s Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology.

May 3

Exciting news for the Robarts Library expansion – crews have begun to drill the concrete to connect the library with the new Robarts Common structure. Studying at Robarts may be a little loud, but you can ask staff at the ground floor information desk and second-floor Ask Us desk for earplugs.

Shutterbugs rejoice – Toronto’s Contact photography festival is back, with captivating exhibitions taking place on U of T campuses:

See the world through the eyes of an engineer at Ambition, Innovation, and Excellence: A Decade at Skule, which will feature photographs from current students and alumni, providing an intimate look at the faculty.
Director of the International Human Rights Program in the Faculty of Law, Samer Muscati, will be showcasing photographs from his visits to Rwanda 15 and 25 years after the genocide at Hart House and at U of T Scarborough. An event to commemorate the 25^thanniversary of the genocide will be taking place at U of T Scarborough this afternoon.

May 4

American artist Carrie Mae Weems will be speaking at U of T as part of the Contact festival. The MacArthur grant recipient, whose work has been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, will also be presenting her work at U of T’s Art Museum and at locations across the city. Her lecture is sold out but you can join the waitlist.

May 5

Roll up your sleeves and join the U of T Trash Team for the annual Clean up the Don event, where you can do your part for the environment by picking up litter along the Don River watershed.

May 8

What makes a successful city? U of T’s School of Cities is hosting an event that will explore the challenges and opportunities faced by big cities around the world for the book launch of Perfect City: An Urban Fixer’s Global Search for Magic in the Modern Metropolis, by Joe Berridge, one of the world’s leading urban planners.

Ahead of the G20 summit in Japan, the Centre for the Study of Global Japan and the G20 Research Group of U of T are hosting a one-day symposium to discuss the evolving agenda of the annual meeting of global leaders. Officials and scholars from around the world will be attending the event held at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, including Takako Ito, consulate-general of Japan in Toronto.

May 11

Glowing bacteria, mutant flies, scavenger hunts and virtual reality tours are just a few of the displays and activities at this year’s Science Rendezvous, the annual family-friendly festival. Here’s what’s happening on the downtown Toronto, Scarborough and Mississauga campuses.

May 13

This is the last week to see the work of some of U of T’s talented artists at the Master of Visual Studies graduate exhibition and the Shelley Peterson art exhibition at U of T’s Art Museum.

May 14

Listen to captivating stories told by members of Toronto’s medical community at the department of medicine’s annual Story Slam, in partnership with the Annals of Internal Medicine.

May 25

Explore some of U of T’s most fascinating spaces at this year’s Doors Open Toronto. It’s your chance to admire the architecture in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, explore One Spadina, and check out the new Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which will be hosting lightning lectures and interactive activities for kids.

May 28

Join urban thought leaders, policy-makers, planners, community advocates and business leaders to exchange ideas on ways to meet the challenges of governing cities in the midst of change at the Governing Cities in the 21st Century symposium. The event will feature experts including Michelynn Laflèche, vice-president of United Way Greater Toronto, Bill Peduto, mayor of Pittsburgh, and Richard Florida, University Professor at the Rotman School of Management. You can learn more and register here or watch the livestream.

May 30

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic will be at the Rotman School of Management to discuss his new book, Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (And How To Fix It), which explores the flaws in a system that rewards arrogance and loudness over humility and wisdom.

They're back: U of T's cherry blossoms have begun to bloom

ullahnor — Fri, 04 May 2018 17:18:51 +0000

They're back: U of T's cherry blossoms have begun to bloom

ullahnor Fri, 05/04/2018 - 13:18

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Cherry blossom trees outside Robarts Library have begun to bloom (photos by Noreen Ahmed-Ullah)

Topic

City & Culture

Cherry Blossoms

Robarts

The cherry blossoms – an annual rite of spring – have begun to bloom outside the ��Ƶ's Robarts Library.

Every year, the grove outside Robarts has provided a peaceful spot to take a photo with the pink blossoms – a quieter option than the crowds at High Park's Cherry Blossom Festival.

The university received 70 Japanese cherry trees known as sakura as part of the Sakura Project, an initiative of the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto, and the trees have been blossoming each year since 2005. There are another 50 sakura trees at U of T Scarborough as well.

On Friday, faculty, students, visitors and passersby at the downtown Toronto campus took a few seconds out of their lunch break to snap a photo to share on Instagram and Facebook.

Leon Cheng, 25, who is an international student from Hong Kong working on his PhD, came out with the brief burst of sunshine to take some photos.

“It is very beautiful,” he said. “It signifies the arrival of spring at U of T.”

Marina Falkovich, 36, was just taking a walk during her lunch break when she saw the blossoming trees and took out her smartphone.

“I noticed them and thought, 'Who needs High Park? Who needs the craziness,'” she said.

This year visitors will not get to enjoy the entire cherry blossom grove – part of it is behind fencing in a tree protection zone for the Robarts Common extension construction. But in springs to come, students will be able to study under the cherry blossoms in a new outdoor plaza (see rendering below).

A rendering of what the plaza might look like under the cherry blossoms (rendering courtesy of Diamond Schmitt Architects)

Forget the lines at High Park: check out U of T's cherry blossoms

geoff.vendeville — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 21:10:55 +0000

Forget the lines at High Park: check out U of T's cherry blossoms

geoff.vendeville Fri, 04/21/2017 - 17:10

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There are no long lines for the cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Author legacy

Geoffrey Vendeville

Subheadline

Peak bloom is expected over the weekend or early next week, arborist says

Each spring, large crowds descend on High Park to behold the majesty of its many cherry blossoms – and shamelessly snap selfies.

For those who prefer quieter surroundings, U of T's Robarts Library provides a welcome option. A path cutting across the grounds from Huron Street to Harbord Street is flanked by 70 Japanese cherry trees, also known as sakura.

The university received the trees through the Sakura Project, an initiative of the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto.

Kristen McLaughlin, a master's of museum studies student, snapping pictures of the cherry blossoms. The trees remind her of Vancouver, she says (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

They have flowered each year since 2005, providing students with a peaceful oasis, especially during exam season.

Diana Teal, the executive director of the High Park Nature Centre and a certified arborist, told U of T News that the trees near Robarts will reach peak bloom April 23-25.

They are in the fifth stage in the bloom process, the “puffy white stage,” she said, adding, “That is absolutely the scientific name for it.”

“Given that it's going to be warm and a little warmer where you are because you're surrounded by buildings and concrete, you're close to peak bloom for sure,” she said.

The cherry blossoms have a relatively short blooming period. Their flowers are said to last only four-to-ten days. Last year, many cherry blossoms in Toronto didn't flower at all because of erratic weather.

The cherry blossoms cut a stark figure against the brutalist concrete architecture of Robarts (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

“I've seen the trees at U of T, and I know it's a beautiful little spot,” Teal said. “If you're going to have a moment with the trees and enjoy that rite of spring, going to a different park is a good option because the crowds in High Park can be overwhelming.”

Although it may be tempting to handle the trees to snap a perfect picture, Teal reminds visitors to be respectful.

“By their nature, the cherry trees can be rather fragile,” she said. “We've seen five people sitting on a limb together, and the limb falls off,” she said of the trees in High Park. “If you love the trees, treat them with respect – as you would any living thing.”

Sofia Vitorino, an ESL student visiting U of T, takes a selfie amid the cherry blossoms outside Robarts (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Hager Jahim, an English major, took a study break by going for a stroll among the trees on Thursday.

“It's really pretty,” she said. “I've never seen something like this before.”

It was a campus visit to U of T that led her to choose to study here.

“I went on a tour and I was like, 'Wow.' I was so fascinated by all the buildings, and it's such a nice campus,” she said.

The cherry blossom is meant to be a symbol of goodwill and friendship between the governments of Ontario and Japan (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

The trees outside Robarts aren't the only ones at the university.

Another well-kept secret among local cherry blossom-connoisseurs are the 50 trees at U of T Scarborough between the H-Wing and Social Science building.

Avoid the lines at High Park by checking out the sakura grove at U of T Scarborough (photo by Kristina Doyle)