Japan's official cherry blossom watchers have confirmed the first blooms of the country's favourite flower, marking the official start of the festive season in the Japanese capital.
A Japan Meteorological Agency official carefully examined a specimen of the Somei Yoshino tree at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine and reported that it had more than five flowers, the minimum number required for declaration.
The opening was in line with the annual average and five days earlier than last year, according to the JMA.
Cherry blossoms, or “sakura,” are a favorite flower of the Japanese and typically reach their peak in late March to early April, just as the country celebrates the start of a new school and business year.
Many Japanese people enjoy walking and having picnics under the trees.
Sakura has had a profound influence on Japanese culture for centuries and has been regularly used in poetry and literature, with its fragility seen as a symbol of life, death and rebirth.
The announcement that Tokyo, where temperatures are warmer than usual at around 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit), comes just a day after the country's first cherry blossoms were confirmed to have bloomed in the southwestern city of Kochi on Shikoku island on Sunday.
The JMA monitors more than 50 “standard” cherry trees across the country.
Trees typically bloom for about two weeks each year, from the time the first buds appear until all the flowers fall.
They are expected to peak in about 10 days.
Cherry trees are sensitive to temperature changes, and their flowering timing can provide valuable data for climate change research.
In recent years, cherry blossom season in Japan has tended to arrive earlier than usual, raising concerns about the possible impact of climate change.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
