The cherry blossoms emerged on Monday in downtown Tokyo, coinciding with their usual appearance for this time of year according to the meteorological bureau.
At Yasukuni Shrine, the “Somei Yoshino” cherry blossom tree, used as a benchmark for flowering by the Japan Meteorological Agency in Tokyo, began blooming five days sooner this year compared to last, following unusually chilly temperatures. This variety typically reaches full bloom within roughly a week from now.
The private meteorological firm Weathernews Inc. forecasts that cherry blossoms will start blooming across western and eastern parts of Japan this month. The blooms are predicted to occur in the nation’s northeastern region between early and mid-April, with Hokkaido seeing them appear towards the end of April.
A meteorological authority representative verified that by approximately 2 p.m., at least six blossoms were visible at Yasukuni Shrine, satisfying the requirements to declare the start of the cherry blossom season. This declaration elicited cheers from those present at the site.