2023 Cherry Blossom Forecast (Part 3):
Rush of Blooms in This Weekend
Press Release
On Thursday, March 16th, 2023, Japan Weather Association (JWA) announced the forecast of the dates when cherry blossoms will bloom at 84 locations throughout Japan.
Blossom Forecast Map
Forecasted Blossom Date (Main Locations)
Forecasted Full Bloom 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 |
Cherry Blossom Buds
Bloom Trends
In March, temperatures have remained high throughout Japan. Particularly, some parts of the Kanto, Tohoku, and Hokuriku regions are experiencing markedly high temperatures, with the daily mean temperature in early March exceeding +4°C above normal. Temperatures are expected to remain above normal, and both blooming and full bloom will be earlier than normal in many areas.
The blossoms have started in Tokyo on March 14th. They have also occurred in Yokohama on March 15th and in Gifu on March 16th. The blossoms are expected to bloom on March 17th in Fukuoka and Nagoya, on March 18th in Kofu and Maebashi. By the end of March, we will see the cherry blossoms in a wide area from Kyushu to the south part of Tohoku, and in Morioka on April 10th and in Aomori on April 13th. This will be nearly the earliest bloom since the start of blooming observation. The cherry blossom front will cross Tsugaru Strait in late April. The blossoms will occur in Hakodate on April 22nd, and on April 26th in Sapporo.
The high temperature trend in March is expected to continue by end of the month, it makes the full bloom date earlier than normal years in nationwide. In late March, many areas from Kyushu to Kanto and a part of Hokuriku, Koshin and Tohoku will have full bloom, and Tokyo is expected to be in full bloom on March 23rd. The full bloom is expected to begin earlier than normal in many areas throughout Japan, and this is more likely to be the case in the eastern part of Japan. Some areas in the Kanto Koshin, Hokuriku and Tohoku regions will be in full bloom more than 10 days earlier than normal.
This winter (from December to February), strong cold air flowed in frequently across the country. Since there were many days of bitter cold throughout the country, the dormancy breaking＊ of cherry blossom buds went smoothly. In addition, since the beginning of March, high temperatures have continued in many areas. This created conditions for an early and full bloom of cherry blossoms. From this weekend, rush of blooms will start.
*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 84 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: 2023/03/16
PDF DOWNLOAD: 2023 Cherry Blossom Forecast (Mar 16th, 2023)
