The cherry blossom season officially began today in Tokyo, Japan, ten days earlier than usual, setting a record early bloom that has been repeated for some years and linked to global warming.

The moment when the cherry blossoms begin marks the beginning of “hanami”, a Japanese tradition of admiring the new blossoms of “sakura” (cherry trees) and celebrating the arrival of spring by organizing picnics among families or friends.

The flowering of the cherry trees is an event that citizens across the country watch with particular interest.

Japanese media compete in predictions of its exact timing across the archipelago and cover the cherry blossom season with enthusiasm every year.

The pretty pink and white flowers were again seen early in Tokyo in 2020 and 2021, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which drew on 70 years of statistics on the matter. Last year the cherry buds started to open six days later.

“We’ve had a lot of hot days in March” so far, a JMA official said today, speaking to Tokyo television networks, seeking to explain the early nature of the phenomenon.

“Climate change may also have played a role,” he added.

The JMA had already estimated in 2021 that this phenomenon was linked to the upward trend in temperatures.

The COVID-19 pandemic had cast its shadow on hanami celebrations between 2020 and 2022, with Japanese authorities recommending avoiding festive gatherings during this period, even outdoors.

Therefore, this year’s “hanami” will be the first that Japanese people will be able to celebrate without restrictions since 2019. It will also be the first in four years that foreign tourists will be able to enjoy themselves, as Japan had closed its borders between 2020 and 2022 due to the health crisis.