Well, I went out and decided to reproduce my experience with other kids in the neighborhood, the theory being if you get kids flowers and you give them food and you give them sunshine and enthusiasm, you can bring them right back to life.

When you think of springtime in Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is iconic clouds of cotton candy pink blossoms, known as sakura (桜) in Japanese. The flowers bloom earliest in Japan's southwest, advancing north and eastward across the archipelago in what is known as the cherry blossom front or sakura zensen (桜前線).