Hanami | Aoyama delete Stories of Little and Big

Stories of Little and Big Blossoms is about emotional ordeals like being a stranger in a strange land or losing a loved one

To look through Leigh Johnson’s viewfinder is to see the world as a series of awkward angles

Beginning to end

But who ever asked about their opinion

For more than twenty years now

Hanami | Aoyama delete Stories of Little and BigThe title, Hanami Aoyama ????, refers to the tradition of hanami literally "flower viewing", where people gather and celebrate under cherry trees during blossom season, engaging in festive meals and bouts of drinking. Sakura (cherry blossoms), due to their relatively short lifespan, are seen to symbolise the fleeting nature of life, and often planted in cemeteries. This book is set in Aoyama Cemetery, which was a popular destination for such parties.