Sakura Meshi (桜飯)
Sakura meshi is a takikomi gohan (Japanese rice dish seasoned with dashi and soy sauce) without any other ingredients. It is also called chameshi (brown rice) because of the color.
The rice is boiled with soy sauce, salt, sake and mirin (sweet rice wine for cooking).
When the rice is cooked, it turns into a cherry blossom color, that is why it is called sakura (cherry blossom) meshi.
In some regions, takikomi gohan when served with octopus is called sakura meshi.
It is said to have the color of octopus that has turned red or sliced octopus legs that look like cherry blossoms
Sometimes cherry blossoms pickled in salt are put on the rice making the rice a little salty and eliminating the need to add soy sauce to highlight the cherry blossom color.