Cherry blossoms start flowering in Tokyo

March 20, 2018

Tokyo- Cherry blossoms started coming out in Tokyo on Saturday, nine days earlier than average year and the third earliest on record, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency also said a Somei-Yoshino cherry tree it has been observing in the capital began blooming four days earlier than the previous year.

"Flower buds grew faster, as there were successive days with higher-than-usual temperatures between late February and early March," said an agency official in charge of monitoring the Somei-Yoshino tree in Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda Ward.

Tokyo is expected to see cherry blossoms in full bloom in a week to 10 days, according to the agency.

Elsewhere in Japan, this year's cherry blossom season started in Kochi on Thursday, in Miyazaki on Friday and in Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Nagasaki on Saturday. Jiji Press