Sakura://

> Pronunciation: (SAH-koo-rah)

> English name: Cherry blossom

> Distinctive features: Soft pink or white petals, delicate, cloud-like clusters, often scattering in the wind or can be attached to the tree still for larger designs.

> Habitat: Spring landscapes, parks, riversides, mountainsides.

> Claim to fame: The ultimate symbol of spring in Japan! sakura bloom briefly (like 2 weeks only) before falling, symbolising life's fleeting nature. They’ve long been associated with the samurai, whose lives were also understood as beautiful but brief, meant to be lived with honor and intensity. Festivals and hanami (flower-viewing) traditions celebrate sakura’s beauty, making it a cultural icon.

> Common tattoo depictions: can be used as a small filler with falling petals, or more of a feature as a sakura tree, or anything in between with some large and some small petals. pairs great with samurai, or most things really. 

> Tattoo symbolism: Impermanence, beauty, mortality, fleeting life, mindfulness, honor, renewal, and embracing the present moment.