Every spring, Japan lights up in bright pink shades as cherry blossom trees come into full bloom all across the country.
While the usual tourist crowds may not be there to enjoy the spectacle this year, the rosy-colored flowers will still make their annual arrival. However, this time, they’re arriving earlier than expected.
The Japan Meteorological Corporation recently updated the cherry blossom forecast for 2021, predicting that spring will arrive early in Tokyo, Hiroshima, and several other cities and regions in Japan.
In Tokyo, sakura (cherry blossom) season could appear as early as March 15, reaching peak bloom by March 23 this year. That’s 11 days ahead of its usual schedule.
Meanwhile, Hiroshima is forecasted to see the pretty pink petals just one day after Tokyo, which is more than a week earlier than usual. Kyoto’s flowers are predicted to bloom the following day, on March 17 (about 11 days earlier than usual), and Osaka is expected to see its cherry blossoms starting on March 20. The flowers will reach Sapporo last, with blooms expected to appear starting on May 2.
While there is a science and methodology that goes into predicting when the cherry blossoms will bloom, the actual timing of their appearance depends on the weather conditions leading up to spring.
