Weathernews announced the "Third Cherry Blossom Forecast" on March 15th. This year's cherry blossoms will begin to bloom next Monday (March 21) in Tokyo (Yasukuni Shrine) and Fukuoka (Nishi Park), and are expected to enter the flowering season one after another from Kyushu to southern Kanto.

■ Forecast of cherry blossoms in 2016
This year's flowering is expected to start in Fukuoka in western Japan and Tokyo in eastern Japan around March 21, and will bloom one after another from Kyushu to southern Kanto next week. It is expected to be in full bloom around the city center around the 25th and in Fukuoka around the 26th.


The buds in western and eastern Japan are growing steadily due to the cheerful spring in the first half of last week. In addition, the temperature in the latter half of March in western and eastern Japan is expected to be normal to high, and it is expected that the cherry blossoms will grow steadily in the future, so the cherry blossoms are likely to bloom a little earlier than normal.

In western Japan, some areas, mainly in Chugoku and Shikoku, bloom a little earlier than normal. The temperature in the latter half of March in northern Japan is slightly higher than normal in the southern part of Tohoku, and is expected to gradually settle down to the normal level in April. For this reason, cherry blossoms in northern Japan are expected to bloom slightly earlier than normal in the southern part of Tohoku, and to be normal in other areas.

This information is based on the third "national bud survey" conducted by the company from March 10th to 12th. For the latest cherry blossom flowering tendency, please check the Weathernews special site "Sakura Flowering Trend 2016".

■ Forecast of cherry blossoms in each area ◆ The Hokkaido flowering front will land in Southern Hokkaido around April 28!
In Hokkaido, the temperature from March to April is expected to be normal to slightly higher, and the cherry blossoms are expected to bloom at normal. Cherry blossoms begin to bloom from southern Hokkaido around April 28, and the flowering area expands around May 20.


Flowering starts in early May around Sapporo City, and it will bloom little by little in the latter half of Golden Week, and it will be in full bloom in early May. Even in the direction of Nemuro and Kushiro, which are the slowest to bloom in Japan, they will begin to bloom in mid-May, and it seems that you can enjoy the cherry blossoms in full bloom around the 20th.

◆ Tohoku The flowering of the southern part of Tohoku is early April!
In Tohoku, buds are growing steadily at the same speed as last year. The temperature from March to April is expected to be normal to slightly higher, and the buds are expected to grow faster, so the cherry blossoms are expected to bloom from normal to slightly earlier. In the south, the temperature in March is slightly higher than normal, and in April it settles down to normal, so it is expected that the flowering time will be slightly earlier than normal in the south and normal in the north.


Flowering begins on the Pacific side of the south in early April, and the flowering front is expected to move northward steadily toward the end of April. Fukushima City and Sendai City are expected to be in full bloom around the entrance ceremony, around Sendai City after April 10th, and around Aomori City at the end of April.

◆ Tokyo is the first flowering plant in Kanto eastern Japan!
In Kanto, buds are growing steadily at the same speed as last year. The temperature in the latter half of March is expected to be normal to high, and the buds are expected to grow faster, so the cherry blossoms are expected to bloom from normal to slightly earlier.


Flowering will begin in Tokyo around March 21st, ahead of the rest of the country, and the flowering front is expected to move northward to the northeastern part of the Kanto region at the end of March.

The cherry blossoms around the city center will be in full bloom from around the 25th at the earliest, and at the end of March. Early cherry blossom viewing is recommended. In the northeastern part of Kanto, there seems to be a place where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom around the entrance ceremony.

◆ Flowering starts from the central Tokai and southern Koshin regions!
In Chubu, buds are growing steadily at about the same speed as last year. The temperature in the latter half of March is expected to be normal to high, and the buds are expected to grow earlier, so the cherry blossoms are expected to bloom from normal to slightly earlier. Cherry blossoms will begin to bloom in Tokai and southern Koshin on March 22, and Hokuriku is expected to reach the flowering time in early April.


In Tokai, the best time to see is at the end of March, and it seems that there will be a snowstorm around the entrance ceremony in early April. In Hokuriku and northern Koshin, there are many places where the best time to see is from early to mid-April, and around Niigata City and Nagano City, you can enjoy cherry blossom viewing in mid-April.

◆ Kinki Flowering from central Kinki on March 25th!
In Kinki, the growth of buds was slightly delayed until the end of February due to insufficient dormancy due to the influence of the warm winter. However, due to the warmth of the first half of March, the growth of buds has progressed to the same level as last year. The temperature in the latter half of March is expected to be normal to high, and the cherry blossoms are expected to bloom at normal.


In Osaka, Nara, and Wakayama, flowering will begin around March 25, which is almost normal, and it is expected to be in full bloom in early April, and the entrance ceremony is likely to be greeted by a snowstorm from full bloom. The best time to see the area around Kyoto is early April, and it is expected that you can enjoy the best time to see Mt. Yoshino in Nara Prefecture in mid-April.

◆ Chugoku / Shikoku Flowering starts from Kochi on March 22nd!
In Chugoku and Shikoku, the breakthrough of dormancy became insufficient due to the influence of the warm winter, and the growth of buds seemed to be delayed until the end of February. However, due to the warmth of the first half of March, the buds grew rapidly and progressed to the same level as last year. Due to the rapid growth of the buds and the temperature in the latter half of March, which is normal to high, Weathernews has advanced the expected flowering date by one to two days. As a result, the flowering of Chugoku and Shikoku has become normal in a wide range, and some areas in the Sanin region are slightly earlier than normal.


Flowering in Chugoku and Shikoku is expected to begin around March 22 on the coast of Kochi Prefecture. Also, in China, the flowering time will start from March 23 at the earliest. The best time to see the area around Hiroshima City is expected to be at the end of March, and the entrance ceremony is likely to be held from full bloom to the time of the snowstorm.

◆ Kyushu Fukuoka is the first flowering plant in western Japan!
In Kyushu, the breakthrough of dormancy became insufficient due to the influence of the warm winter, and the growth of buds seemed to be delayed until the end of February. However, due to the warmth of the first half of March, the buds grew to the same extent as last year, except in some areas. The temperature in the latter half of March is expected to be normal to high, and the buds are expected to grow further, so the cherry blossoms are expected to bloom at normal.


Around March 21, flowering is expected to begin especially in the coastal areas of Fukuoka Prefecture, where buds have grown, and then to higher altitudes. Around Fukuoka City, you can enjoy the cherry blossoms in full bloom at the end of March. In areas such as Nagasaki City and Kagoshima City, there are likely to be many places where you can enjoy the full bloom to the snowstorm around the entrance ceremony.