In Japanese art and poetry, cherry blossoms have also served as metaphors for "the ephemerality of life", said James Ulak, the senior curator of Japanese art at Washington's Freer and Sackler art galleries, in an interview with NPR.

BBC: Cherry blossom festivals amid tragedy

Reiki, the Japanese art of laying on hands, is based on the notion that an unseen, life-giving source of energy flows through our bodies.

NEWYORKER: The Operator