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With Christmas, New Year’s, and Coming of Age Day all over and done with, Japan has finished up most of its big winter events. So even if the weather is still cold, people are starting to look ahead to spring, and in Japan spring means cherry blossoms.
But even though the sakura are the symbol of spring in Japan, the timing of the fickle flowers varies from year to year. That’s why the Japan Meteorological Corporation prepares predictions in the run-up to cherry blossom season, and the organization has just released its first forecast for 2023’s sakura, with the blossoms expected to open on March 22 in Tokyo, Kochi, and Shimonoseki.
▼ The sakura forecast map for spring 2023
As shown by the map, the cherry blossoms bloom first in the southern parts of Japan, where the weather is warmer, and the “sakura front,” as the phenomenon is called spreads north afterwards. The forecast focuses on somei yoshino, Japan’s most prevalent and popular variety of sakura trees, and the by-city list for the start of blooming includes:
Akita: April 18
Aomori: April 22
Fukuoka: March 23
Hiroshima: March 26
Kanazawa: April 4
Kobe: March 30
Kochi: March 22
Kyoto: March 27
Nagano: April 9
Nagoya: March 25
Nara: March 29
Osaka: March 28
Sapporo: May 2
Sendai: April 8
Shimonoseki: March 22
Tokyo: March 22
Yokohama: March 24
Arguably more important than when the sakura will begin blossoming, though, is when they’ll reach full bloom, for which the current forecast is:
Akita: April 22
Aomori: April 26
Fukuoka: April 1
Hiroshima: April 4
Kanazawa: April 10
Kobe: April 7
Kochi: March 30
Kyoto: April 5
Nagano: April 15
Nagoya: April 4
Nara: April 5
Osaka: April 5
Sapporo: May 5
Sendai: April 13
Shimonoseki: April 1
Tokyo: March 30
Yokohama: April 2
Source: @Press, Japan Meteorological Corporation
Insert images: @Press, Pakutaso
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2023/01/12/japans-cherry-blossom-forecast-for-2023-is-here-tokyo-among-cities-to-see-sakura-first/
29 Comments
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BertieWooster
Hello!
What about Okinawa?
Elvis is here
HUUGGGEEEE numbers there at one time.
Moonraker
Are these forecasts ever actually right? Are they even assessed for their predictive capability?
kurisupisu
It’s impossible for Tokyo to see the blossoms before Okinawa.
Casey needs to repost her missive…
Rodney
Hopefully no masks or social distancing restrictions
Fighto!
Whether you like it or not, Japanese people will be largely wearing masks.
Why is it such an issue for you?
wolfshine
No mention of areas along the Eastern Izu Peninsula where leaves blooms much earlier and much pinker.
kohakuebisu
I clicked hoping to see a "x days earlier/later than normal" comment but will leave disappointed.
Yrral
These tree's only make people allergic worst
David Brent
Good luck trying to get a nice photo without power lines and some ugly tin-clad building in the way.
TokyoLiving
Excellent, best cherry blossoms in the world!!!...
Seawolf
Has already started (mentioned by a friend on Jan 8th, who went there for some company golfing). Mentioning an event that happened in the past would look the comitee stupid because they are supposed to "predict" said event... :-)
Japantime
Hopefully Cherry blossom parties don’t come back.
Jennie
Does this also mean the scorching hot summer will come earlier as well…? :(
vendingmachinemusic
Japan doesn't have any mask or social distancing restrictions. They asked people not to gather or eat during peak covid times previously, but they would not call the cops on your or anything.
So whatever restrictions people are complaining about are more a figment of imagination, or looking for a reason to complain more than anything.
Bobo
cherry blossoms, sick of the trees. been here too many years I guess, its my last year here so maybe I should try and enjoy it, but I don’t think I can look at another blossom without..
tamanegi
Sadly the four remaining Sakura at our local train station were cut down last week and cemented over for a new hiroba area.
In addition at the local elementary school across the way a lot of sakura trees were unmercifully hacked of their branches beyond recognition. We've lost so many cherry blossoms around here in recent years.
Zizi
Will be visiting family from 15th-29th march. Any Hanami restrictions?
wallace
I love the sakura season even if many countries also have them. You usually don't need to go far to find them.
Amanda
These articles are so stupid. Anyone with more than two brain cells knows sakura forecasts aren't remotely accurate until the middle or even the end of March. There are 1,000 things that could move the first bloom forward or backward between now and then!
ClippetyClop
This is very true, I'm afraid things like this are just clickbait for people looking forward to the end of winter, when we are just entering midwinter.
A cold week in March will change this prediction completely.
BertieWooster
Cherry blossoms are in bloom in Okinawa NOW, 14th of January. I don't know why four people voted minus!
Three goals
There are sakura blossom trees in other countries too. Japanese seem to appreciate cherry blossom trees more I think.
wallace
The sakura blossom is an important Japanese symbol in its art and culture about life being a short fleeting moment or a sense of renewal every year.
Sakura blossoms symbolize both birth and death, beauty and violence. They are a central motif in the Japanese worship of nature, but they have also historically signified the short but colorful life of the samurai.
It has been featured in the art for centuries.
Other nations have cherry trees but do not attach the same importance to them.
Temyong
@BettieWooster
the cherry blossoms in Okinawa is only in Yogi park in Naha and in Nago. Cherry Blossoms are not originally from Okinawa so what you have in Okinawa is not the real Japanese cherry blossoms! Okinawa is not part of Hanami culture.