TOKYO (voa) – Unseasonably warm weather has triggered bursting white cherry blooms to mark the earliest opening on record of the cherry blossom season in Tokyo.
Official spotters from Japan’s meteorological Agency noticed the flowers Saturday on several trees at the Yasukuni Shrine, used as a benchmark for opening day.
It is the earliest blooming in Tokyo since 1953, when the agency started keeping records.
During cherry blossom season, parks throughout Japan are filled with people hosting flower viewing parties under the trees. The flowers are expected to be in full bloom late this month.
The flowering cherry tree or “Sakura”, as it is called by the Japanese people, is one of the most exalted flowering plants.
The beauty of the cherry blossom is a potent symbol equated with evanescence of human life and epitomizes the transformations Japanese Culture has undergone through the ages.
