The flowering of the cherry blossom is a powerful symbol of hope in Japan. Lowell Sheppard set out on a six week adventure, cycling from the south where the buds first open in March to the north of the country, tracing both the flowering of the blossom and Japan's move towards post-modernity.
In spring 2000 Lowell Sheppard began a seven-week, 2000-mile cycling adventure from the southern tip of Japan to its most northerly island. His aim: to discover the heart and soul of Japan by following sakura zensen, the cherry blossom front, as it progressed north. Chasing the Cherry Blossom is at once a travel book and a 21st-century spiritual odyssey.
