OSAKA, Mar 28 (News On Japan) - The Osaka District Meteorological Observatory announced on March 27th that cherry blossoms have begun blooming in Osaka, marking an opening three days earlier than last year.
Shimada Shoji of the observatory stated, "Today, we confirmed five or more blossoms, so we are officially announcing the start of the cherry blossom season."
Around 10:30 a.m., observatory staff visited the Nishinomaru Garden in Osaka Castle Park and confirmed that five or more flowers had bloomed on the sample Somei-Yoshino tree, leading to the official declaration of flowering.
While the bloom came three days earlier than in 2024, it aligns with the average flowering date for the region. Within the Kansai area, this was the second bloom of the season, following Wakayama on March 26th.
A meteorological official explained, "Because the cold lingered until last month, we expected a later bloom this year, but the sudden rise in temperatures last week likely accelerated the flowering."
In Osaka, the cherry blossoms are expected to reach full bloom around April 4th.
Source: YOMIURI