Obaachans behaving badly

This year, I've seen a lot of posts on social media, particularly Instagram, appealing to foreigners - occasionally with a light sidenote to Japanese people too - not to pick the cherry blossoms off the tree. I have to admit it is something that really bugs me. Many of the videos showed foreign people picking the trees in locations in Japan.

The responsible social media posts did point out that Japanese people do it too. Something I was reminded of this week, when I saw three Japanese Obaachans (Japanese for Grandmother) picking the cherry blossoms off the tree. These three Japanese Obaachans didn't just pick a blossom or two. They each filled about a 20-liter bag full of blossoms. One of them had two bags. I took the photo in this post before they had finished filling the bags. Can you see the bag on the left of the photo with blossoms in it and one of the Obaachan behind the tree? I do have better photos, but they show some of the Obaachan's faces which I don't feel comfortable sharing.

The Obaachan's did eventually see me, but it didn't deter them from their picking. I knew by their demeanor that it was pointless to try and talk to them about what they were doing. Picking several blossoms off the same tree can leave the tree vulnerable to fungi, diseases, and bacteria. It can even lead to the tree not blooming properly the following year.  I was very disheartened to see these Obaachans behaving badly, but thankfully it is a rare sight.