When sakura season rolls around, flocks of people head down to the Meguro River near Nakameguro Station, which is undoubtedly one of Tokyo’s most popular cherry blossom viewing spots. Ahead of this coming season, NHK News has reported that Tokyo's Meguro ward is planning to replant some of the 2,200 Yoshino cherry trees lining the river.
Many of the trees along the river are now over 60 years old. Furthermore, there are concerns about poor ventilation and lack of sunlight as the trees are situated too close together. As such, there is an increasing risk of falling branches and the trees might start falling over due to their proximity.
According to the report, the ward is planning to start replanting the cherry trees sometime in the new fiscal year. There's not a lot of information at the time of writing. We don't know the exact dates and there's no clarification on whether the trees will be removed and replanted elsewhere, or if they will be replaced by new trees.
However, in Japan, the fiscal year officially starts on April 1. This means that the current trees should still be around for this year's sakura season, with flowers expected to bloom around March 22. Let's hope the replanting project does not affect the appeal and the beauty of this scenic river.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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