Japan Kicks Off Cherry Blossom Season as First Flowers Bloom in Three Cities

Government officials in Japan have declared the official start of cherry blossom season after confirming blooms in three cities. The flowers appeared earlier than usual this year, with experts citing dry winter conditions and increased sunshine as contributing factors.

TOKYO (AP) — Government weather officials in Japan declared Monday that cherry blossom season has officially begun after confirming the first blooms in three cities across the country.

Meteorological experts inspected designated Somei Yoshino cherry trees in Kochi in southwestern Japan, along with Gifu and Yamanashi in the nation’s central region. They confirmed finding more than five blossoms on each monitored tree, meeting the threshold needed to make the seasonal announcement.

Kochi’s cherry tree bloomed ahead of the others for the third consecutive year, appearing six days sooner than typical, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The trees in Gifu and Yamanashi flowered nine days ahead of their usual schedule.

“Low rainfall during the winter and longer hours of sunshine might have helped the early blooming,” Shinobu Imoto from Kochi Meteorological Agency explained to TBS television.

The beloved cherry blossoms, known as “sakura” in Japanese, typically reach full bloom from late March through early April, coinciding with the nation’s new academic and business calendar year. Countless Japanese citizens participate in traditional activities like strolling and having outdoor meals beneath the flowering trees.

However, recent years have brought challenges as areas surrounding popular cherry blossom destinations have reported problems including trash accumulation, excessive noise, and other complications related to too many tourists visiting these sites.

For hundreds of years, sakura blossoms have held significant cultural importance throughout Japanese society.