The Japanese government announced on Tuesday (March 21) that this year’s first cherry blossoms had bloomed, kicking off the official start of the cherry blossom season.
Every year, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issues an official announcement after five to six cherry blossoms are spotted by staff on their official tree at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine.
According to the JMA, it is the first time in nine years that the capital city has welcomed the start to the season earlier than other cities in Japan.
Despite the cold rainy weather, locals and tourists visited the shrine as well as nearby parks on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of the first cherry blossoms, a much-awaited sign that spring has arrived.
Tokyo expects to see cherry blossoms in full bloom in the city from the end of March to the beginning of April. During that time, hundreds of thousands of residents are traditionally seen visiting parks and sitting under the iconic trees with a picnic.
(REUTERS)
