While the fruit of the cherry tree is revered all over the world, the cherry blossom is a worldwide recognize symbol that surpasses the symbolism of the actual cherry. The cherryblossom is also a common symbol in traditional Japanese woodblock art. Traditional Japanese tattooing draws its artistic inspiration from the woodblock prints and thus often incorporate cherry blossoms. In China the cherry blossom represents feminine beauty, the feminine principle and love. In Japan, the blossom is believed to symbolize the transient nature of life because of the way they bloom for such short periods of time. Like life, the blossom shows extreme beauty for a very short period of time and dies quickly. It is also the emblem of the Samurai, who are taught to believe that each day may be their last. Their motto is "This is a good day to die". The cherry blossom figures prominently on the Samurai sword sheath.
Cherry blossom tattoos are found on those who either have some ethnic heritage in the east or have a respect for their teachings, especially the Samurai's Bushido or the Way of the Warrior. Tattoos that include cherry blossoms usually also include traditional Eastern elements as well, like samurais, geishas, Chinese dragons, koi fish or kanji.
