Apr 15, 2025
Cherry blossom lingo: a floating bridge of flowers
This is the eight post in a series I've called "cherry blossom lingo". In this entry I introduce the term for when cherry blossom petals float on a body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, or even a puddle. It is said that they look like a floating bridge of flowers.
A floating bridge of flowers
I've already introduced the term for when cherry blossoms form what looks like a raft on a body of water, called an hanaikada. It is when the petals are more thick in the water. A floating bridge of flowers is when the petals are more scattered.

In Japanese it is "hana no ukihashi" (Hananoukihashi / hana-no-ukihashi) 花の浮き橋. Hana is the Japanese word for flower; as such the term can be used for any flower petals floating on the water. Uki is the Japanese word for floating, no is a particle that denotes possession and hashi means bridge. Isn't it a beautiful expression? And indeed, a beautiful phenomenon.
Have you see any hana no ukihashi, floating bridges of flowers, yet this season?
Irish, Mom of 4, currently also living beside the In-Laws. 25+ years back and forth between Ireland and Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com
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