By RYUTARO ITO/ Staff Writer
March 10, 2023 at 19:01 JST
Kawazu cherry blossoms reach their peak in Maebashi-Shikishima, Gunma Prefecture, on March 5. (Tatsuro Sugiura)
Japan will likely see cherry blossoms earlier than usual this year thanks to warmer weather.
Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms are now forecast to be in bloom starting in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Kochi prefectures on March 16, the Japan Weather Association announced on March 9.
For Fukuoka, the prediction is six days earlier than usual, with the date moved up after temperatures rose from the beginning of March.
Other cities in the Kyushu region are predicted to see cherry blossoms blooming four to six days earlier than usual.
Fukuoka is followed by Miyazaki on March 17, Kumamoto on March 18, Oita, Nagasaki and Saga on March 19 and Kagoshima on March 20.
Yamaguchi Prefecture is forecasted to see an explosion of pink three days earlier, with Shimonoseki expecting blossoms on March 23.
This winter frequently had cold snaps, which was perfect for a phenomenon called “dormancy break,” where flower buds awaken after being exposed to low temperatures.
The blooming date is the first day of the season in which five or more buds bloom on sample trees at the meteorological observatories across Japan.
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