Cherry blossom front

The Japan Meteorological Agency records the opening and full bloom of the blossoms from Kyūshū in late March to Hokkaidō in the middle of May.

The cherry blossom is of great public interest in Japan due to its symbolism and the custom of flower viewing known as hanami.

[1] From 2010, the Agency left forecasting to the private sector although it continues to observe and determine the impact of the climate upon the flowering of the cherry.

[3] For instance, the sample tree in Mito collapsed under the weight of snow in 2005, while that at the southern tip of Ishigaki Island was felled by a typhoon a year later.

[3] The fifty-nine sample trees are located across Japan, corresponding to the sites of the Agency's principal weather stations:[10][11][12]