SECTION 3
Having a picnic is common/in Japan, too.//
Many people enjoy a meal/in parks or by the riverside,/especially during cherry blossom season.//
In 18th century Edo,/hanami became popular/among the common people.//
In those days,/a lacquered box/to pack various sorts of food/was an essential item for hanami.//
Another lacquered box with a handle,/called sageju,/was also used for hanami.//
Sageju can hold/not only the lacquered boxes of food,/but also a bottle/containing a beverage.//
It is used to help people/bring everything to hanami.//
This shows/Japanese people have enjoyed “picnics”/and used “picnic baskets”/since the 18th century!//