Cherry trees in Tokyo have begun to bloom in stunning shades of pink, marking the onset of spring in Japan.
Tokyo cherry blossoms were forecast to come into bloom earlier than any other region of the country for the second consecutive year.
At least six cherry blossom buds opened up on the specimen tree in Sannomaru at the Kochi Castle in the southwest of the country, Japan Meteorological Agency said.
This Somei-Yoshino cherry blossom tree is the official marker for declaring the start of the sakura or the cherry blossom season each year, which draws thousands of tourists from across the world.
Cherry blossoms are seen on a Somei-Yoshino cherry tree at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo (EPA)
Kumamoto city declared the blooming of cherry blossoms three days earlier than last year but a day later than average, according to reports.
Japan usually sees the peak cherry blossom season in March and April when the streets of its major cities are adorned by beautiful pink and white flowers.
But temperatures on Sunday reached levels for late April to mid-June in many parts of Japan, with a high-pressure system covering most parts of the country, the weather agency said. Many areas of Japan recorded temperatures of more than 25C or higher, which the agency defines as a summer day.
The daytime temperature soared to 26.8C in Tsuyama City in Okayama Prefecture, making it the highest temperature for March since the weather agency began record-taking in 1943.
Seeing Japan’s cherry blossoms by water ((Alamy/PA))
This year’s cherry blossom season began five days earlier than 2024, and the trees are expected to be in full bloom by the end of the week.
Climate crisis and urban warming have been impacting the flowering dates of cherry blossoms in Japan. Last year, the cherry blossoms bloomed early in February with streets in Kawazu already been covered with pink flowers.
In 2023, the iconic blossoms appeared ten days earlier than usual and tied with an early record set in 2020 and 2021 for the earliest bloom date since the records began in 1950s.
(AFP via Getty Images)
In Japan, forecasts for cherry blossom bloom are an integral part of the country’s spring celebrations. The government has set a standard for observing cherry blossom trees and has been forecasting the annual bloom since 1955.
According to the rules, once five or six flowers have opened on the branches of the tree, it’s considered to be blossoming. Once 80 per cent of the tree has flowered, it’s deemed to be in full bloom.
Why is the sakura season important?
The sakura or cherry blossom season does not just hold cultural significance, but it’s also a major tourist attraction.
An estimated 63 million people travel to Japan to see the cherry blossoms, spending around $2.7bn in the process, according to a 2019 estimate from Kansai University. In March 2024, a record 3.1 million tourists visited Japan during the spring season, a 70 per cent increase from the previous year.
The flowers are loved by people in Japan as much as the tourists, who flock to parks to hold picnics to view and photograph the blossoms. Stores in Japan stock their shelves with flower-themed or favoured items such as pink sakura drinks, cakes and even lunch boxes.
The Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit will be held in the first week of April, when the fast-corner track will be adorned with blooming cherry blossoms. The race last year drew about 222,000 fans from Japan and across the world.
When will the blossoms completely bloom this year?
The timing of the sakura season varies in Japan by region, beginning from late March and extending till the end of April.
This year, blooms are expected to appear in Hiroshima and Kochi in western Japan and Miyazaki in southwestern Japan this week. It will be followed by Yokohama and in the southwestern Japanese cities of Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki.
In northeastern Japan, the flowers are forecast to bloom by mid-April and Hokkaido will be the last to witness the pink in late April.
People take pictures with cherry blossom trees at Ueno park during a rainy day in Tokyo (AFP via Getty Images)
How to enjoy the blossoms
Grab some drinks, food and a blue tarpaulin picnic sheet, and do a spot of hanami. Literally meaning “flower viewing”, hanami are the picnics and parties held in cherry blossom spots, which can range from a mellow afternoon with family in the local park to sake-fuelled parties with colleagues.
Ueno Park in Tokyo is in the latter category, a sea of picnic sheets under an expanse of billowing blossom. By nightfall, the park will be littered with passed-out hanami casualties. Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen Park is far calmer, as there’s an admission fee and no-alcohol policy for anyone who wants to relax amid the 1,300 multi-varied blossoms spread across its lawns and gardens.
The Imperial Palace’s Edo-era Chidiorgafuchi moat, however, can stake a strong claim as the most attractive blossom spot in the capital, its banks bursting with pink. A top hanami spot at night is the hip Nakameguro neighbourhood, where blossoms, paper lanterns and food and drink trucks line the concrete banks of the Meguro River.
AloJapan.com