This is a year of Toyohari travel for me. In January I visited St Gallen in Switzerland to assist on a Toyohari Basic course. It was a great opportunity to meet up with colleagues and teachers from Europe.

In March I will be visiting the home of Toyohari and the clinics of five Japanese acupucture teachers, including Ito Sensei, the grandaughter of Yangishta Sensei, the founder of this amazingly subtle style of Japanese acupuncture. I will then attend the Toyohari Spring Workshop in Tokyo, which only happens every 10 years.

Spring is the time of the awe-inspiring sakura (cherry blossoms) in Japan. Cherry blossoms are a central part of Japanese culture and are featured in many art forms, including paintings, woodblock prints, and tattoos. They are also the subject of many festivals and events, including hanami, a tradition of ‘flower watching’ parties that involves eating, drinking and picnicking under the cherry blossoms.

Sakura symbolism

• Impermanence: The short-lived bloom of cherry blossoms symbolizes the transience of human life
• New beginnings: Cherry blossoms symbolize hope and new beginnings
• Nobleness: Cherry blossoms symbolize nobleness and living life to the fullest
• Warrior code: For samurai, cherry blossoms symbolized the warrior code of Bushidō, which emphasizes honour and courage