The cherry blossom season in Japan, sakura, has become a major tourist attraction and spring celebration, and the Japan Meteorological Agency updates the forecast for the bloom every week.
The bloom is currently forecast to start in Nagoya on Tuesday, March 17, a week earlier than normal, and then continue northward over the coming weeks.
In Kyoto - where records date back to the 9th century - a record was set in 2021 when the blossoms reached full bloom as early as March 26. This year, it is also expected to be early, with blooms starting on March 23 (three days earlier than usual) and reaching full bloom on April 1.
