Here and in many places people are preparing for spring holiday's such as Easter but in Japan they're holding the annual Hanami festivals. Hanami literally translates as "Flower Viewing"(Hana being "Flower" and Mi being "See/View/Watch", the two Kanji you see there on the Sakura in the corner 花見). Most often it's Sakura(Cherry Blossom's) that are in bloom and people go to see, though in certain regions they also observe Ume("Plum") and Momo("Peach") blossoms. If you're lucky they'll be in bloom for a full week each year and people go to parks or on small boat's down water canal's beneath the branches and flower bud's in bloom.
The southern regions of Japan like Okinawa do Hanami earlier in the year while more northern area's have the tree's there bloom later, so depending on the region Hanami can be anywhere from March to May, and Hanami is even more important after the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami that hit last year.
Specifically in this picture are my two character's from The Ten Tales of Chikazetakeko.
The creature there is Chikazetakeko(千風竹子), my Ten-tailed Takekitsune(竹狐) or "Bamboofox". Chi is a Kami or "God" of the forces of Yin and Yang, and nature, specifically involving plants. He's also my little mascot~<3 I like to think of him as my version of Pixar's bouncing lamp
The person in the picture is Chuujun(忠純), the Guuji(Head Priest) of Chi's shrine. He cares for all of Chi's needs and keeps up the shrine that was erected around 800 years earlier by Denji Takeshi as a safe home for all Takekitsune(they are nearly an extinct (fictional) species).
The Kanji written over the Sakura flower in the corner, reading from left to right is Hanami, 2012nen(year), Takekitsunebi A-to Shoppu(Bamboofoxfire Artshop)(I'm a second year Japanese student ;P )
Arigatou to Kudasai
~THE PsyKou
