Days suddenly turn cold, then the next day warm enough to leave your coat—temperature swings within a week are growing. Three cold days and four warm: spring is steadily advancing.
Meanwhile, three kawazuzakura trees in the Marubeni garden east of the Palaceside Building in Takebashi, Tokyo, have bloomed, delighting passing office workers. They are perhaps three-quarters open; new leaves are spreading little by little. Unlike Somei Yoshino, kawazuzakura blooms for a long time—a great pleasure.
Last year at this unusually cold time they were only about one-quarter open; it is a bit warmer this year, but compared with typical peak seasons it still feels cold.
In their hometown Kawazu, Shizuoka—the kawazuzakura topic every spring—flowers are also somewhat late. Along the Kawazu River and at Imaihama and the Iida residence in Tanaka, near the sea, they are five to six tenths open; but at the loop bridge under Kawazu Nanataki, higher up, where they are usually in full bloom now, this year only some hard buds have begun to open.
The town has held the Kawazu Cherry Festival since February 5, with daily stalls of local farm produce and seafood, lighted cherry avenues, illuminated walkways, and on weekends commemorative photos with the Izu dancing girl. The festival ends on the 10th (Sun.), but with late blooming the tourism association expects many visitors from the 11th (Mon.) and will hold a special "Kawazu Haru Urara Festival" through the 17th (Sun.) with stalls and free amazake for the first 100 each day.
As noted here before, both daffodils and kawazuzakura are late compared with usual years. Unpredictable climate change is affecting many things again this year.