Cherry blossoms decorate Tokyo, Washington

In photos: Cherry blossom season has arrived in Tokyo

Jenna Moon

Breaking news reporter

Updated Mar 21, 2023, 7:00am EDT

East Asia

A view shows cherry blossom trees over a pond at Ueno park in Tokyo, Japan, March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou — REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou

The Scene

Japan’s celebrated cherry blossom trees have started blooming, drawing crowds of spectators to parks for viewing parties.

The season began early this year with the Japan Meteorological Agency declaring the first bloom on March 14. The early onset matched a record last seen in 2020 and 2021, The Japan Times reported.

Japanese meteorologists analyze temperature data each year to predict when the trees might show their white and pink flowers. Some forecasters even employ mathematical models, algorithms, and crowdsourcing techniques to deduce the start of the season, which can begin as late as May in Japan’s northernmost regions.

Here’s a look at the blooms so far in the capital Tokyo.

#1: Cherry blossoms in Ueno Park

#2: Spectators feed birds and snap photos of the blooms

Girls feed sparrows and take photos in front of cherry blossom trees at Ueno park, in Tokyo, Japan, March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou

#3: A couple stands beneath cherry tree branches

Young couple observe the cherry blossoms at Ueno park in Tokyo, Japan, March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou

#4: A bird rests in a cherry blossoms

A white-eye bird is seen on an early-flowering cherry blossoms in full bloom at a park in Tokyo, Japan March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato

#5: People gather for a blossom viewing party

People enjoy a cherry blossoms party, in Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou

The View From Washington, D.C.

Cherry blossom season is also under way in Washington, D.C., drawing viewers to the blooming trees in the U.S. capital.

he Washington Monument is seen with cherry blossoms, which officials expect to reach their peak in the next few days, along the Tidal Basin in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst