Hana Matsuri: Celebrating Buddha and Spring with Exquisite Pan-Asian Cuisine

UBA Restaurant blends East London and East Asia

It tasted as beautiful as it looked! (photo by author)

When I moved to the UK, I was surprised to find people know so little about Buddhism. However, this is likely expected, as only 0.4% of the population is Buddhist.

Also, Japanese Buddhism differs from that of other countries in many ways. If you're curious about our traditions, this article is sure to pique your interest.

Here, I've intertwined a brief explanation of why April 8th or May 8th is significant for Japanese Buddhists with a delightful experience I had at a fusion restaurant on April 8th last year. This is a glimpse into how I, as a Buddhist, find my own way to celebrate this special day in London.

Japanese Buddhists celebrate Buddha’s birthday at Hana Matsuri

Kanbutsu-e ceremony (katorisi, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons) and the Buddha as a baby (ASUKAEN, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

First of all, did you know that Buddha’s birthday is celebrated by Buddhists, just as Mawlid by Muslims and Christmas by Christians?

The issue is that the Buddha’s date of birth is not known. He is said to have lived between the 5th and 7th centuries BC, but that is the only info we have. So, we celebrate Buddha’s birthday on various dates, though usually in April or May.