Cherry blossom early start

Officials used the benchmark Somei‑Yoshino standard — inspectors count a minimum of five open flowers before declaring kaika — and confirmed the threshold, with Kochi’s sample showing six blossoms on March 16 (the site has been first for the third straight year). (abcnews.com) Kochi’s opening came notably earlier than normal: the tree in Kochi flowered six days ahead of the long‑term average and Gifu and Yamanashi about nine days ahead, according to meteorological spot checks. (usnews.com) February’s heat helped accelerate the calendar — Japan’s national February mean ran about 1.87°C above the 1991–2020 baseline, making it the nation’s second‑warmest February on record, a factor forecasters cited in early‑spring projections. (ncei.noaa.gov) Regional forecasts show a staggered front: the Japan Weather Association projected Uwajima to begin flowering on March 18 and reach full bloom on March 25, while Fukuoka, Nagoya and Gifu were listed to start around March 20 and Kyoto’s full bloom is forecast near April 1 on popular sakura maps. (jwa.or.jp) The Japan Meteorological Corporation’s public forecast covers roughly 1,000 Somei‑Yoshino viewing sites nationwide and announced its next scheduled forecast update for March 19, with real‑time tracking available through its “Sakura Navi” service. (n-kishou.com) Forecasters warn of local variability and frequent revisions: interactive forecast services say they will post first‑bloom and full‑bloom reports daily once flowering begins in earnest, and their maps already list Hokkaido cities like Sapporo reaching bloom in late April. (sakura.weathermap.jp)