Cherry blossoms blooming are a sign of spring coming in the land of the rising sun. People and tourists will flock to the major cities of Japan to visit, organize flower picnics (hanami) or regional festivals.
According to Soranews24, based on weather forecast information, this year's cherry blossom season starts very early. Tokyo will have cherry blossoms blooming from March 20, according to forecasts from Japan Meteorological Corporation.
Nippon also reported that in addition to Tokyo, there are also regions such as Nagoya and Shizuoka where cherry blossoms will bloom at the same time on March 20, and in western areas of Tokyo, cherry blossoms will bloom in late March.
As it rises to the north of Japan such as Sendai, Sapporo, the time for cherry blossoms to bloom is pushed back to April. However, these forecast milestones are still considered early compared to previous years.
Japan currently has hundreds of cherry blossom varieties, of which the two most popular and prominent names are still Somei-Yoshino and Shidare-zakura. While Somei-Yoshino pale pink is the most popular cherry blossom; Shidare-zakura has the elegant shape of cherry blossom trees that are often seen in parks and along riverbanks.
When cherry blossoms begin to bloom, it will take about 7 - 10 days for the flowers to fully bloom. People and tourists in Japan will have half a week to enjoy the most brilliant beauty of this year before the flowers begin to fall.
To admire cherry blossoms, visitors cannot miss the following locations:
Maizuru Park, Fukuoka; Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima; Arashiyama, Kyoto; Takato Castle Park, Nagano; Goryokaku Park, Hakodate; Hirosaki Park, Aomori; Shiroishikawa Riverside Park, Miyagi; Ueno Park, Tokyo; Sunpu Castle Park, Shizuoka; Tsurumai Park, Nagoya; Kochi Park, Kochi; Kumamoto Citadel, Kumamoto.
