Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
When To Come?

When is Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival?

Well...I wish I could give you a simple answer.

The thing is – Japan Cherry Blossom Festival dates change slightly every year.

The blooming time of the Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree changes from year to year depending on the weather.

If the weather during the months before the season is mild, flowers will open early. If it was very cold that winter, the trees will open later.

The start of the season can change from year to year by as much as two weeks.

On top of that, the Cherry Blossom flower is so fragile that even a warm spring rain can easily cause the petals to fall.

Every year until now the Meteorological Agency and the media followed the 'Japan cherry blossom front'
as it slowly proceeded, giving reports on the advance of the 'Sakura zensen' ('Japan cherry blossom front' ).

From 2010, the Japanese Meteorological Agency no longer predicts the start of the blossom due to a few misses in the past.

In a formal announcement published lately they declared that from now on only private agencies will supply 'Japan cherry blossom front'.

But don't throw in the towel yet...
Here is…

Best Time To Visit Tokyo
Dates Of Japan Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan is the highlight of the year as they carry their professional looking cameras around, trying to get some great cherry blossom pictures.

The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival is relatively short.

Full bloom is usually reached within one week after the opening of the first Cherry Blossom flower.

A week later, the cherry blossom tree bloom is over, and the cherry blossom flowers are falling from the trees.

So there is a sense of urgency that comes with Cherry Blossom festival.

In Tokyo, the festival takes place around the end of March and beginning of April. In Japan's southern island Okinawa, it starts around January, while on the northern island - Hokkaido, as late as May.

Of course, not all Cherry Blossom Trees in Tokyo open on the same day.
A Cherry Blossom Tree in a shadowy place will bloom several days later than a Cherry Blossom Tree in a sunny place.

For this reason, a set of representative sample trees has been chosen, to identify the date of Kaika - the opening of the first cherry blossom flower.

In Tokyo, the sample trees which give the representative cherry blossom branch are located at Yasukuni Shrine.
When these Cherry Blossom trees bloom, the starting of the Japanese Cherry Blossom festival can be announced.

Even if your vacation in Tokyo falls at the end of the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, it's still a big Tokyo attraction as the Cherry Blossom flower petals fall very beautifully and look like pink snowflakes.

Planning to visit Tokyo during Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival?
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