Japan's sakura opened early

Japan Meteorological Agency officials inspected benchmark Somei Yoshino trees and declared flowering after finding more than five open blooms on each specimen [AP, Japan Meteorological Agency report]. (apnews.com) Kochi’s sample tree opened six days earlier than the long‑term average, marking the prefecture’s third consecutive year as the season’s earliest announcer. (usnews.com) Gifu and Yamanashi recorded flowering nine days ahead of their averages, and Gifu’s date ties its earliest on‑record observations from 1989, 2021 and 2023 when officials confirmed five or more flowers. (asahi.com) The most recent forecast chart lists Tokyo’s flowering (kaika) on March 18 and its full bloom (mankai) on March 25, updating regional first‑bloom and full‑bloom estimates across the country. (sakura.weathermap.jp) Forecasters point to sustained above‑average temperatures since mid‑February that weakened winter dormancy and moved flowering earlier across western and eastern Japan. (sakura.weathermap.jp) The Japan Meteorological Corporation’s eighth forecast issued March 12 covers roughly 1,000 viewing locations and is scheduled for another update on March 19 to refine timing as conditions change. (n-kishou.com) Because full bloom typically lasts about one week, the March 25 full‑bloom projection for Tokyo implies a narrow peak‑viewing window stretching into the final days of March, a timing repeatedly highlighted by forecasters and travel guides. (timeout.com)