It has suddenly turned cold, yet news of cherry blossoms is arriving from many places — from the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace and Kitanomaru Park near Palaceside Building in Takebashi, and from shrines and temples as well.
It is winter cherry, fuyuzakura. In the East Gardens, one tree east of the keyaki plaza before the honmaru blooms beside a flowering jugatsuzakura (October cherry). Unlike spring's full canopy, white flowers dot bare branches. Against autumn leaves to the east, spring and fall seem to arrive at once — a curious sight.
Fuyuzakura is a cross of yamazakura and mamezakura. Blooming in cold weather, petals hold firm rather than scattering quickly as in warm spring. A peak in early winter, a few rounds afterward, then another peak in spring — like repeat-blooming roses, sakura being in the rose family, fuyuzakura offers a long season.
After the New Year come kan-zakura, kan-hizakura, kawazuzakura, higanzakura ... cherry reports will keep coming. Let us look forward to them through the cold winter.