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Chasing the Cherry Blossom
In spring 2000 Lowell Sheppard began a seven-week, 2000-mile cycling adventure from the southern tip of Japan to its most northerly island.
His to discover the heart and soul of Japan by following sakura zensen, the cherry blossom front, as it progressed north. Chasing the Cherry Blossom is at once a travel book and a 21st-century spiritual odyssey.
His to discover the heart and soul of Japan by following sakura zensen, the cherry blossom front, as it progressed north. Chasing the Cherry Blossom is at once a travel book and a 21st-century spiritual odyssey.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
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About the author
Lowell Sheppard
8 books2 followersLowell Sheppard lives in a solar powered log house on a hillside in Central Japan with his wife and border collie. He has authored several books including Boys Becoming Men, Chasing the Cherry the Blossom, and Never Too Late and has written articles and columns for numerous Newspapers and Magazines. Lowell works for HOPE International Development Agency (http://www.hope-international.com) and is also a keen long distance cyclist organizing rides with his friends at Japan Coast to Coast (http://www.japanc2c.com) a volunteer cycling group. As a social entrepreneur, Since March 11th, 2011, Lowell has been deeply involved in the `Rebirth and Return to Self Reliance` of communities in the Tsunami Stricken areas of East Japan. His most recent book, Story of Jud, a short story, is his first venture into fiction. He is currently working on a novel set in the murky and arcane underworld of Japan. Lowell`s books are now published digitally by Crash Bang Books (http://www.crashbangbooks.com) and you can read about his books at http://www.lowellsheppard.com
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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July 27, 2025Finally finished: I felt tricked here; had I been in a library and able to look inside the book first, I would've realized it's essentially (evangelical?) Christian devotional literature as travelogue, and has only a sliver of anything (as in maybe a page or two in total) to do with Japan's history of viewing cherry blossoms. This isn't my cup of tea, so I don't feel I can rate it according to the purposes it was intended to serve. (I'll continue my search for good information on hanami.)
March 2, 2015
Whilst I didn't get into the Christianity, I enjoyed the journey and picked up many interesting facts and snippets of Japanese culture
August 2, 2021
This book celebrates Japanese culture and its understanding of the beauty and fragility of life.
Most of us associate cherry blossoms with Japan, but are unaware that the nation's most important holiday is timed by blooming cherry trees. Starting in March on the southernmost tip of the Japanese archipelago, the Sakura Zensen (Cherry Blossom Front) sweeps northward. During this time, Japanese families gather for "Ohanami" - a tradition-heavy holiday that's very similar to Christmas in the U.S. For six weeks, there are outdoor parties to enjoy a flower that is both beautiful and short-lived.
The author was a beginning cyclist when he decided to ride his bike 2,000 miles along the length of Japan to follow the cherry blossom front as it moved north. He stayed in hostels and private homes and talked to as many Japanese as he could. Since this is a time when Japanese are outdoors, relaxed, and not working it's the optimal time to socialize and get to know people. Having just completed his dissertation on generational friction in Japanese culture, Sheppard regarded this trip as his "field work."
April in Japan is a month of transition, when students leave school and start jobs. It is a time when Japanese review the past and reassess their lives. In recent years, there has been friction within families and within society due to the "generation gap."
Older people are still enthusiastic about the post-WWII economic miracle, but younger people see the personal costs of that prosperity. In the U.S. twenty-somethings are concerned that they may not be able to do as well as their parents financially. Their Japanese counterparts are increasingly turning their backs on the financial rat-race, seeking job satisfaction and personal freedom.
This author is a writer who has lived in Japan all of his adult life. He's active in promoting cycling in Japan and works with communities that are still struggling to recover from the 2011 tsumani. His extensive knowledge about Japanese culture and his obvious love for Japan make this an outstanding book.
Most of us associate cherry blossoms with Japan, but are unaware that the nation's most important holiday is timed by blooming cherry trees. Starting in March on the southernmost tip of the Japanese archipelago, the Sakura Zensen (Cherry Blossom Front) sweeps northward. During this time, Japanese families gather for "Ohanami" - a tradition-heavy holiday that's very similar to Christmas in the U.S. For six weeks, there are outdoor parties to enjoy a flower that is both beautiful and short-lived.
The author was a beginning cyclist when he decided to ride his bike 2,000 miles along the length of Japan to follow the cherry blossom front as it moved north. He stayed in hostels and private homes and talked to as many Japanese as he could. Since this is a time when Japanese are outdoors, relaxed, and not working it's the optimal time to socialize and get to know people. Having just completed his dissertation on generational friction in Japanese culture, Sheppard regarded this trip as his "field work."
April in Japan is a month of transition, when students leave school and start jobs. It is a time when Japanese review the past and reassess their lives. In recent years, there has been friction within families and within society due to the "generation gap."
Older people are still enthusiastic about the post-WWII economic miracle, but younger people see the personal costs of that prosperity. In the U.S. twenty-somethings are concerned that they may not be able to do as well as their parents financially. Their Japanese counterparts are increasingly turning their backs on the financial rat-race, seeking job satisfaction and personal freedom.
This author is a writer who has lived in Japan all of his adult life. He's active in promoting cycling in Japan and works with communities that are still struggling to recover from the 2011 tsumani. His extensive knowledge about Japanese culture and his obvious love for Japan make this an outstanding book.
November 4, 2012
2009 bookcrossing:
I did quite enjoy this book although I have to admit that I skipped sections when he started having theological musings with himself or telling us about prayers he said - I'm not interested in Christian books to be perfectly honest. I did enjoy the Japan side of things. Cycling does seem to be the way to really see a country, although I don't suppose I'd ever dare cycle through a whole country on my own. I had thought there would be more about the cherry blossom than there was to be honest. There were a lot of historical asides and anecdotes about the spread of Christianity in Japan (I'm not interested in religion, but from a history point of view, this was actually quite interesting to read and learn a little more about the country) but he didn't do the same for the cherry blossom, which seems a shame both because it is a feature of Japan, and because it was supposed to be the reason for this bike trip. Oh well, he ho.
He's an all right read - certainly not the best travel writer out there, and his telling of conversations he had occasionally came out a bit twee, but I read through this book quite easily (skipping the bits I was not interested in). And it really makes me want to go back to Japan now as well, so as a travel book it has succeeded in that respect too. I was there for 5 weeks, but I feel like I barely scratched the surface. Having read this book, the part I would really like to go to is Hokkaido - the northern island. It sounds a little bit different, with lots of nature, and more laid back city style (according to him). I only travelled about on the main island, Honshu. The other islands I'd like to go to are Okinawa, but they aren't even mentioned in this book, and completely irrelevant to this journal =).
I did quite enjoy this book although I have to admit that I skipped sections when he started having theological musings with himself or telling us about prayers he said - I'm not interested in Christian books to be perfectly honest. I did enjoy the Japan side of things. Cycling does seem to be the way to really see a country, although I don't suppose I'd ever dare cycle through a whole country on my own. I had thought there would be more about the cherry blossom than there was to be honest. There were a lot of historical asides and anecdotes about the spread of Christianity in Japan (I'm not interested in religion, but from a history point of view, this was actually quite interesting to read and learn a little more about the country) but he didn't do the same for the cherry blossom, which seems a shame both because it is a feature of Japan, and because it was supposed to be the reason for this bike trip. Oh well, he ho.
He's an all right read - certainly not the best travel writer out there, and his telling of conversations he had occasionally came out a bit twee, but I read through this book quite easily (skipping the bits I was not interested in). And it really makes me want to go back to Japan now as well, so as a travel book it has succeeded in that respect too. I was there for 5 weeks, but I feel like I barely scratched the surface. Having read this book, the part I would really like to go to is Hokkaido - the northern island. It sounds a little bit different, with lots of nature, and more laid back city style (according to him). I only travelled about on the main island, Honshu. The other islands I'd like to go to are Okinawa, but they aren't even mentioned in this book, and completely irrelevant to this journal =).
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews