See the incredible pictures of Japan’s cherry blossoms in full bloom
The flowers have appeared nine days early this year!
For any tourist visiting Japan, seeing the country during cherry blossom season is the holy grail.
Unfortunately, it’s not all that easy. In major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the flowers bloom every year in early April, but the exact time it happens is incredibly tricky to predict.
Not only this, but the season is pretty short. It takes around a week for the flowers to reach full bloom, and a further week before they begin falling from the trees. As you can probably guess, the variable times and short window makes it tough for tourists to plan their trips.
Cherry blossoms in Tokyo
As such, a whole lot of luck decides whether you are in with a chance of seeing the cherry blossoms. The early blooms in Tokyo started on 17 March this year, a full nine days earlier than average. The cities of Osaka, Fukuoka and Kyoto soon followed.
Even if you didn’t make it out this year, the pictures are almost as good as the real deal. Here are how the cherry blossoms look in some of Japan’s major cities.
Tokyo
Cherry blossoms in Tokyo
Kyoto
Osaka
Fukuoka
Nagasaki
Various cherry blossom tours are run, showing the flowers in cities from Tokyo to Osaka.
For example, All Japan Tours costs £1,840. It is a seven-day tour and runs from various dates in late March and early April.
If you wanted a shorter tour, Japan I Can runs a one-day Kyoto cherry blossom tour that costs £70.
The Press Association
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