Japan’s First Sakura Cherry Blossoms Bloom Expected As Early As 30 March
The rising temperatures due to global warming are making cherry blossoms in Japan bloom earlier than before year by year.
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Malaysians planning their Japan trip around the Sakura cherry blossom season this year may need to bring forward their schedules.
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The Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC) said the first blooms are expected in Shikoku Island’s Kochi Prefecture on 18 March 2024. The flowers are expected to be fully bloomed eight days later.
This would be followed by the cities of Fukuoka and Nagoya on 21 March, with full bloom forecast on 30 and 31 March respectively.
Tokyo and Kyoto will see the first blooms on 23 March and reach full bloom seven days later. Over in Osaka, the Sakura flowering date is expected to be 25 March with the full bloom on 1 April.
Sapporo, up in the north, will see its first bloom on 2 May and reach its full bloom four days later.
Peak cherry blossom season in Japan usually spans from late March to early April. The colder regions such as the northern areas witness this phenomenon slightly later.
The recent trend of early cherry blossom seasons is due to the rising average temperature in Japan tied to global warming.
The Meteorological Agency said the average temperature in Japan last year was the highest on record. The temperature rise is also making the job of forecasting cherry blossom blooms harder.
The temperature in Japan is expected to be warmer between January and March this year compared to previous years.
JMC said the next cherry blossom bloom forecast update will be released on 25 January.
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