Many know that Japan is the place to catch beautiful cherry blossoms in bloom during the months of March, April, and May.
However, while you pose for the perfect blush-pink Instagram pic, here’s a reminder to always respect public property, especially when you’re a visitor in a foreign country.
Former TVB journalist and news anchor Akina Fong was recently on holiday with her husband in Tokyo, when she witnessed the unsavoury actions of a group of tourists.
Akina and her husband were dining in a restaurant when she saw the group reaching out for the branches of the cherry blossom tree and violently shaking them so the petals would fall around them for the perfect shot.
Incensed, she took a video of them and shared it on IG.
“Please spend 28 seconds witnessing this immoral cherry blossom-watching behaviour.”
If you didn’t know, the Japanese consider cherry blossoms sacred, and for some, the blooms represent the transience and elegance of human life.
People wasted no time in condemning the tourists for their “despicable actions”, and labelled the tourists “scarily self-centred”.
“These are selfish people who have no problem destroying public property just so they can get what they want,” wrote one netizen.
We can’t help but agree.