Overview
- Regional observatories confirmed new openings in multiple cities, with Mito and Takamatsu both reporting the start of Someiyoshino blooming earlier than usual.
- In Mito, officials said the blossoms began five days ahead of the long-term average, ranking as the seventh earliest start since records began in 1953.
- In Takamatsu, the monitoring tree at Ritsurin Park opened two days earlier than the local average and one day earlier than last year, with peak bloom typically about a week later.
- Meteorologists pointed to higher-than-average February temperatures as the main driver of the faster start, which can also shorten the window to reach full bloom.
- Visitors in Kyoto shared images from Maruyama Park showing blossoms becoming visible, with local reports guiding viewers to expect peak displays within roughly a week and citing a late-March to late-April full-bloom window.