The cherry blossom season officially opened in Tokyo on Tuesday, ten days earlier than usual, a trend that has become prevalent in recent years due to the consequences of climate warming.

This station marks the beginning of what is known as “hanami”, a Japanese tradition based on watching the new blossoms of “sakura” trees (cherry trees), and celebrating the arrival of spring by organizing picnics with family or friends.

Thus, the cherry blossoms are an event of interest across the country. Japanese media compete to predict the start date of this season across the archipelago, and cover its news annually with remarkable enthusiasm.

The delicate white and pink flowers appeared this early in the year in Tokyo in 2020 and 2021, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency based on its 70-year-old statistics on the subject. As for the last year, these flowers began to bloom six days later than the previous year.

"We had a lot of hot days in March," an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency told television cameras in Tokyo on Tuesday, trying to explain the early start of the season.

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

The agency had pointed out in 2021 that this phenomenon is linked to the upward trend in temperatures.

The Covid-19 pandemic partially spoiled the joy of the "Hanami" season between 2020 and 2022, after the Japanese authorities advised against participating in festive gatherings during this period, even outdoors.

Thus, the 2023 celebrations in Japan will be the first unrestricted cherry blossom season since 2019. It will also be the first in four years that is open to foreign tourists to whom Japan closed its doors between 2020 and 2022 due to the health crisis.