Tokyo has seen a lot of cold and rainy weather over the last couple of days, so we’re looking at the spring cherry blossom predictions to cheer ourselves up. The Japan Meteorological Corporation recently released its seventh update for the 2024 sakura forecast, giving us a better idea of when to schedule this year’s hanami (blossom viewing) outings. The latest report predicts that in most destinations across Japan, cherry blossoms will bloom generally around the same time as the past few years, although some areas may see blossoms a few days early.
This past autumn's warmer-than-average temperatures caused a delay in the crucial cold period for Japan's cherry blossom trees, pushing bud development back by about a week. However, this delay is anticipated to be offset by the warmer temperatures projected for the rest of March, which will expedite the growth stage.
For Tokyo, the cherry blossoms are predicted to start flowering on March 23 (that’s just two weeks away!), reaching full bloom by March 30.
In Kyoto, the first blossoms are expected on March 23, three days sooner than usual, with peak bloom hitting around April 1.
Osaka will likely see its first flowers around March 25, with full bloom predicted for April 2.
The northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido will be the last to see cherry blossoms. For Sapporo, the start of the sakura season will begin on May 1, with full bloom predicted to hit around May 4.
The next update from the JMC is scheduled for March 14, when we should be getting a clearer picture of what spring will bring.
This article was originally published on January 11 and updated on March 8 2024.
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