Japan: Tokyo sakura season begins with Ueno Park picnics
By Friday, visitors were already spreading picnic sheets beneath pale pink canopies in Ueno Park, one of the capital’s best‑known hanami (flower viewing) spots. The announcement matters well beyond the weather: for Tokyo’s residents, sakura season marks the start of spring gatherings, family outings and one of the city’s busiest tourism periods. Officials said the bloom arrived five days earlier than the seasonal average. The cherry season in Tokyo is declared once at least five flowers open on the official sample tree, but this year observers counted 61 blossoms before making it formal. Warmer‑than‑usual temperatures since mid‑February helped accelerate the process, according to Japanese forecasters. In parks such as Ueno, where thousands are expected over the coming days, the mood was festive but reflective for some visitors, with several saying the annual return of the blossoms offered a rare sense of calm in an unsettled international moment.
