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Agence France-Presse

Tokyo’s meteorologists declared the start of the much-loved cherry blossom season in the Japanese capital on Thursday, as residents prepare to host outdoor picnics under dazzling floral displays.
The cherry season for Tokyo starts when the official sample tree at Yasukuni Shrine opens at least five flowers.
“Today, the blooming of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms was observed,” the Tokyo Regional Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said in an eagerly awaited statement, referring to the most common cherry variety.
Since early Thursday morning, local broadcasters have repeatedly shown dozens of open flowers on the tree.

To make it official, a duo of suit-clad officials from the weather agency stepped in front of dozens of spectators and theatrically counted and pointed to open flowers.
Then they carefully walked around the tree for a closer look and consulted among themselves in front of national media and spectators.
After a few minutes, one of them said they had found 61 open flowers. “Tokyo’s cherry trees came into bloom,” he told the crowd, prompting applause.
The JMA said the blooming was five days earlier than the average, March 24, which was last year’s arrival date.
The early blooming came as Tokyo experienced warmer-than-usual weather since mid-February, a weather agency official said.

The earliest recorded date for cherry blossom blooming in Tokyo is March 14, which occurred three times in 2020, 2021 and 2023, according to the JMA.
Shinobu Imoto from Kochi Meteorological Agency told TBS television that low rainfall during the winter and longer hours of sunshine might have helped the early blooming.
One spectator at the Yasukuni Shrine, 30-year-old Taira Toru, a public official, said the start of the cherry season offered hope at a time of war.
With spring having come, I really hope that peace will come again
Taira Toru, a spectator at the Yasukuni Shrine
“It’s something that happens every year, but with the situation in Iran right now … the world is in turmoil, and with spring having come, I really hope that peace will come again.”
Private weather service company Weathernews Inc predicts that cherry trees across eastern and western Japan will flower within this month.

Blossoms will appear in the southern part of the Tohoku region of northeastern Japan in early April and in Hokkaido by late April.
Cherry blossoms, or sakura, usually reach their peak in late March to early April, as the country celebrates the start of a new school and business year. Many Japanese enjoy walking or picnicking under the trees.
In recent years, communities near cherry blossom viewing venues have complained about littering, noise and other issues linked to overtourism.
Additional reporting by Kyodo, Associated Press


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Visitors take selfies in front of the early-flowering cherry blossoms at Ueno Park in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters 

Blossoms and buds from a Somei Yoshino cherry tree at the Yasukuni Shrine used by The Tokyo Regional Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency for phenological observation on Thursday. Photo: AFP

People walk under the blooming cherry trees in the Chuo district of Tokyo on March 11. Photo: AFP

Women in kimonos take photos in front of early-flowering cherry blossoms at Ueno Park in Tokyo on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

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The blooming was five days earlier than the average, possibly due to low rainfall and longer hours of sunshine in winter


The blooming was five days earlier than the average, possibly due to low rainfall and longer hours of sunshine in winter.


Blooming marvellous: Tokyo’s cherry blossom season officially begins

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The blooming was five days earlier than the average, possibly due to low rainfall and longer hours of sunshine in winter

The blooming was five days earlier than the average, possibly due to low rainfall and longer hours of sunshine in winter