In Japan cherry blossoms symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. An aspect of Japanese cultural tradition that is often associated with Buddhistic influence which is embodied in the concept ofmono no aware, literally, "a sensitivity to things". The transience of the blossoms, the extreme beauty and quick death, has often been associated with mortality; for this reason, cherry blossoms are richly symbolic.
Cherry blossoms are an enduring metaphor for the fleeting nature of life.
