Mar 15 (NHK) - The Japan Meteorological Agency has declared the start of cherry blossom season in Tokyo.
Agency officials confirmed on Sunday afternoon that at least five blossoms had opened on the benchmark tree of the Somei-yoshino variety at Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo.
The declaration came 12 days earlier than average. It was the same as last year, and the earliest since statistics were first kept in 1953.
Temperatures on Sunday exceeded the seasonal average in some parts of the country. Although rain clouds spread over the northeastern Tohoku region and other areas, eastern and western Japan were mainly sunny.
A commercial weather-information firm says cherry trees will likely start blooming earlier than usual in many western and eastern parts of the country.
Source: ANNnewsCH
