TOKYO — The official commencement of Japan’s cherished cherry blossom season was marked on Monday, as the initial blooms of the nation’s iconic flowers were observed in Tokyo. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed this annual event, signaling the start of the festive period for residents and visitors in the Japanese capital.
At the heart of this announcement was a Somei Yoshino cherry tree located at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine. Careful inspection revealed that more than five blossoms, the minimum threshold for declaring the season’s start, had opened on this specimen. This year’s blossoming aligns with the average timing while occurring five days earlier than the previous year.
Renowned as “sakura,” these cherry blossoms are embraced as Japan’s most beloved flowers. They typically reach their full splendor in late March to early April, coinciding with the beginning of a new academic and business calendar in Japan. It is during this time that people enjoy leisurely walks or picnics beneath the flowering branches.
Sakura has played a profound role in shaping Japanese culture over the ages, often appearing in poetry and literature. Their ephemeral nature is a powerful metaphor representing life, death, and renewal, resonating deeply within the cultural consciousness.
The declaration of blooming in Tokyo, where temperatures have been unseasonably warm at approximately 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit), follows just a day after similar confirmation in Kochi, a city on Shikoku island in southwestern Japan.
Each year, the JMA monitors over 50 benchmark cherry trees nationwide. The typical blooming period extends to around two weeks from the beginning of the buds, through full bloom, until petal fall. Experts predict peak bloom in about ten days.
Cherry blossom trees are sensitive indicators of climatic conditions, and the timing of their flowering holds significance for climate change research. In recent years, there has been a noticeable trend towards earlier blossoms, prompting discussions on the potential influence of climate change on this cherished natural phenomenon.