夜桜

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 夜桜(よざくら) refers to cherry blossoms viewed at night.
• Basic usage: It describes enjoying blossoms on a riverside walk or seeing illuminated blossoms reflected in water.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Sound change in the compound
  • 桜 on its own is read さくら, but here it becomes ざくら, producing よざくら.
• Blossoms and the activity of viewing them
  • 夜桜 names the nighttime blossoms, while 夜桜見物 names the activity of going to see them.
  • 花見 refers to flower viewing and is not limited to nighttime.