The famous “Sakura” flower spectacle is admired every year by millions of visitors. Approaching cherry blossom season in Japan, the Japan Meteorological Society (JMC) on Wednesday (Jan 10) released the forecast for when and where the flowers will bloom.
“The JMC has estimated Yoshino cherry blossom dates at approximately 1,000 locations,” the agency said on its website (https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/News/sakura5.html).
The beloved cherries
In March 2023, the number of visitors to Japan soared to the highest level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as people rushed to enjoy the cherry blossoms for the first time since travel restrictions were eased.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of foreign business and leisure visitors reached 1.82 million in March, up from 1.48 million the previous month.
In case you are planning to travel to Japan in spring to admire the beloved flowers, here are some dates to keep in mind.
The first blooms of 2024 will make their appearance in Kochi on March 18, according to the JMC, while full bloom will occur on March 26. On March 21st, the blossoms will appear in Fukuoka and Nagoya, with full bloom expected on March 30th and 31st respectively.
Visitors will only be able to get a glimpse of the pink petals in Tokyo on March 23, with full bloom expected on March 30.
Lethargy
In Kyoto and Osaka, the trees will start blooming on March 23 and 25 respectively. The cherry blossoms in both cities are predicted to be in full bloom on April 1st. Sapporo, meanwhile, will have to wait until May 2, while full bloom in the regional capital of Hokkaido is expected on May 6.
“Cherry blossom and full bloom dates are determined by temperatures from the fall of the previous year,” the JMC says on its website, noting that the flower buds form during the summer of the previous year.
“Buds do not start growing as soon as they form – they first enter a period of dormancy,” the agency added.
The JMC said the estimated blooming and full bloom dates for cherry blossoms “are based on low temperatures during the fall and winter, the developmental course of the cherry, cumulative temperatures and past data for each region.”
The next cherry blossom update will be published on January 25th.
