2023 Cherry Blossom Forecast (Part 1):
Cherry blossoms to bloom first in Fukuoka and Kochi on March 19th
Press Release
On Thursday, February 16th, 2023, Japan Weather Association (JWA) announced the forecast of the dates when cherry blossoms will bloom at 49 locations throughout Japan.
Blossom Forecast Map
Forecasted Blossom Date (Main Locations)
| [Explanation of Terms] | |
|---|---|
| Normal | The average for 1991–2020 |
| Fairly early | At least 7 days earlier than normal |
| Early | 3 to 6 days earlier than normal |
| Nearly Normal | Within 2 days of normal |
| Late | 3 to 6 days later than normal |
| Fairly late | At least 7 days later than normal |
Blossom Trends
Blossom trends in 2023 is likely to be nationwide nearly normal or partly earlier than average.
The blossoms will likely occur in Fukuoka and Kochi on March 19th. The blossoms are expected on 20th in Miyazaki, and on 21st in Kumamoto, and 22nd in Tokyo, Wakayama, Hiroshima, and Oita. By the end of March, we will see the cherry blossoms in a wide area from Kyushu to Kanto. The cherry blossom front will cross Hokuriku, Nagano, and the southern part of Tohoku in early April, the northern part of Tohoku in mid-April, and will reach Hokkaido in late April. The blossoms will occur in Hakodate on April 26th.
This winter, strong cold air flowed in frequently across the country, and the temperature of December was lower than normal years nationwide.
Although temperatures in January were generally normal, an extremely strong cold wave hit in late January, resulting in record-breaking cold temperatures, with the lowest temperature ever recorded at observation sites across the country. As a result, the dormancy breaking＊ of cherry blossom buds went smoothly.
*Dormancy breaking: a phenomenon in which the dormant flower buds that were formed in the summer of the previous year come out of dormancy in winter when exposed to low temperatures for a certain period of time.
JWA’s Cherry Blossom Forecast
For more detailed information about JWA’s Cherry Blossom Forecast, please find the link below:
https://www.jwa.or.jp/english/service/seasonal-news-cherry-blossom-forecast/
Cherry Blossom Forecast Information in tenki.jp
The forecasted blossom dates for cherry trees in all 49 locations are available on the cherry blossom forecast page (https://tenki.jp/sakura/expectation/) of “tenki.jp,” the weather forecast media operated by JWA (Japanese only).
Originally released in Japanese: 2023/02/16
PDF DOWNLOAD：2023 Cherry Blossom Forecast (Feb 16th, 2023)
