The author and television host says eating from a bento box is a huge part of celebrating Cherry Blossom season in Japan.
“Cherry blossom viewing and food go hand in hand and across Japan, people gather with friends and family to see the blossoms bloom, but also to picnic and have a good time,” he said.
“There’s even a Japanese saying “hana yori dango,” which roughly translates to “dumplings over flowers”, which means to appreciate good food even more than the beauty of the blossoms.
“The bento box is the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival in miniature – a celebration of the meeting of Japanese and Australian cultures, creating something dynamic and new just like the first blossoms of the new season.”
Helping to wash done the one-of-a-kind bento box, the festival’s very own izakaya (pop-up bar) will also be serving sake from Sakeshop Sydney along with internationally recognised Japanese craft beer label Coedo beer.
The full program as well as early bird tickets for the popular annual celebration of Japanese culture and cuisine are available now at cumberland.nsw.gov.au/sydney-cherry-blossom-festival.
