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Spring snow falls in Tokyo, creating beautiful images of Japanese sakura cherry blossoms

Mar 22, 2018 (soranews24.com) - After months of cold weather, which brought the heaviest snowfall in four years to Tokyo back in January, the days finally began warming up in the capital last week, with sunny skies and temperatures reaching highs of 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

But just as we thought it was time to start putting away our winter wardrobe, we found ourselves digging around for our snowboots instead, as weather reports warned that a cold snap meant snowfall was predicted to fall across the city on 21 March, the first day of spring according to the Vernal Equinox.

While many couldn't believe that snow would fall in Tokyo so late in the year, it ended up snowing just as predicted, falling steadily for a number of hours to create a thin layer of white ice that made it feel like winter all over again, only this time the landscape looked different, thanks to the springtime blossoms that had sprung up around the city.

Tokyo's sakura season officially started on 17 March, after the first blossoms were seen on the sample tree at Yasukuni Shrine, which meant that people were able to see snow amongst the cherry blossoms; a rare treat for residents, particularly in the metropolis.

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Japan’s World Cup campaign ended in the cruelest possible fashion on June 29, as Gabriel Martinelli scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Brazil a 2-1 victory over the Samurai Blue in their knockout match in Houston. Japan had led in the first half and were still level at 1-1 in the final moments, but Martinelli’s late strike sent Brazil into the Round of 16 and eliminated Japan from the tournament.

Strong earthquakes have continued to shake parts of Japan in recent weeks, with 11 temblors measuring lower 5 or above on the Japanese seismic intensity scale recorded across the country since April 2026.

A Kintetsu Railway train derailed inside Kyoto Station on the morning of June 29, forcing partial suspensions on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line for the rest of the day and causing long delays that hit commuters, students and tourists.

A section of stone wall at Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s few surviving original Edo-period castles and a National Treasure whose main keep remains intact more than 400 years after its construction, collapsed after heavy rain caused by Typhoons No. 7 and No. 8, Hikone city officials said.

Japan advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Sweden on June 25, finishing second in Group F and setting up a Round of 32 clash with Brazil in Houston.

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