Japan’s official cherry blossom spotters announced the start of the cherry blossom season in the country on Monday. This declaration came after an official from the Japan Meteorological Agency examined a specimen tree of the Somei Yoshino variety at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine and confirmed that more than five blossoms had bloomed, meeting the required number for the announcement.
The blooming occurred on schedule, aligning with the average timing for the season, and was five days earlier than last year, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Cherry blossoms, or “sakura,” hold a special place in Japanese culture and typically reach full bloom from late March to early April, coinciding with the beginning of Japan’s new school and business year. Many people in Japan enjoy strolling or having picnics beneath the blossoms.
The sakura has been an enduring symbol in Japanese culture for centuries, often featured in poetry and literature, representing themes of life, death, and renewal due to their delicate and transient nature.
The announcement in Tokyo, where temperatures have been unusually warm at around 19°C (66°F), follows the confirmation of Japan’s first cherry blossom bloom in the southwestern city of Kochi on Shikoku Island, which was reported just a day earlier on Sunday.
The Japan Meteorological Agency monitors over 50 “benchmark” cherry trees across the country. These trees typically bloom for around two weeks, from the first bud to when all the blossoms fall. The peak bloom is expected to occur in about 10 days.
Cherry trees are highly sensitive to temperature changes, and their blooming patterns can provide important insights for climate change research.
In recent years, the cherry blossom season in Japan has been arriving earlier than usual, raising concerns about the potential effects of climate change.