Open topic 4: motief of "cherry blossom"

How do you feel with cherry blossom? What image do you have when you look at it, and look at its petals fall?

I like its color, for example Someiyoshinoソメイヨシノ has soft pink in daytime. I once heard human is able to see the world only in monochrome in the night, and it makes cherry trees much more beautiful. People have enjoyed to watch it as yozakura夜桜, and some customs to enjoy it as an entertainment have been developed. As I know, Japanese people love to see cherry blossoms as I can understand why they do so.
Particularly yozakura fits my favor as I feel the time around the tree stops in both of the moonlight and artificial light. It takes my eyes whenever I find it.
Cherry blossom fascinates us with its beautiful and fragile shape.

However, I learned in one class of Anthropology that Japanese government used cherry blossom as motief of "patriotic Japanese" during wartime. They appealed to people's sense to connect their favorite cherry blossom and the war. Young men who got on Kamikaze plains were told "be brave as scattering cherry's petal when you die!" It must be the final excuse for pilots to give their lives. (Kamikaze plains were one-way plain which attacked the enemies only with one-way fuel. Pilots were sure they could never come back after the ride.) I remember people who saw pilots off prayed with cherry brunchs.
In a newspaper showed in the class, one of the man who was to go as Kamikaze but could avoided it by an accident wrote about cherry blossom. He had lost many friends for the war and Kamikaze, and he remembered the statement from government firmly. Even though many years had passed since the war ended, he could not see cherry blossom without tears as he remembered only sad memories with it.

Those which are attractive are frequently took advantage to controll other people. I do not like wars, so I was disappointed to know cherry blossom was used in such a negative way. I hope no more people come who feel sad when they look at the beautiful tree.