It is an event that fascinates both the Japanese and many visitors from all over the world: the cherry blossom. The pink flowers adorn the landscapes, parks and streets of Japan. In the capital Tokyo, many people are keen to take particularly beautiful photos of the cherry trees.
Trees there started blooming on Tuesday, the earliest since observations began in 1953 and ahead of any other region in the country, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. According to the agency, this broke previous records set in 2020 and 2021. They are expected to be in full bloom in about a week.
Earlier than usual flowering is also expected in the rest of the country due to the warmer weather.
Warm March weather means early cherry blossoms in Japan
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the cold weather in December and January made for a smooth transition, allowing the flower buds to emerge from their dormant phase and become active. Warmer weather in March then caused the cherry blossoms to bloom earlier than an average year, officials said.
After three years of the corona pandemic, several cherry blossom events and locations are also opening in Japan. In Tokyo, for example, parties with food and drinks – so-called hanami parties – can again be held in parks; a street of the Imperial Palace is scheduled to open to the public for cherry blossom viewing from March 25 to April 2 for the first time in four years. The street was first opened to the public in 2014 to mark the 80th birthday of Emperor Emeritus Akihito.
The cherry blossom is a widespread motif in Japan – and has a special symbolism there: the blossoms are like clouds that suddenly appear and then suddenly disappear again. Therefore, in Japan, the cherry blossom symbolizes ephemerality and the transience of life.
Sources: Kyodo News Agency, “Asahi Shimbun”, Tokyo Tourism Portal