This weekend the cherries (Somei Yoshino) in central Tokyo were said to have reached full bloom, so on the morning of the 28th, the start of the week, we looked in at nearby Chidorigafuchi, a famous cherry spot. Even on a weekday, quite a few people were rowing boats with their faces turned up to the blossoms. You can feel how strongly people have been waiting for spring.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, more than about 80 percent of the buds on the specimen tree in the precincts of Yasukuni Shrine had opened on March 27, and full bloom was declared. That is four days earlier than average and five days later than last year. Full bloom in March has now come five years in a row; the earliest on record was March 21, 2002.
In a typical year the “Chiyoda Cherry Festival” is held around Chidorigafuchi and Kitanomaru Park, but the spread of COVID-19 has canceled the festival for a third straight year, and the spring public opening of the Imperial Palace’s Inui-dori has also been canceled for three years running.
Tokyo this week is likely to see more cloud, with a chance of rain around the 31st, and a flower-chilling cold snap is forecast after April begins. No banquets—please enjoy a walking hanami soon.