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How to Prepare for Japan’s Cherry Blossom Season (Despite Climate Change)
Climate change is making it harder to plan for cherry blossom viewing in Japan than ever. Here’s what you need to know — and where to go for the best views.
By Jay Allen
As the new year opens, many people are making plans to visit Japan in time for peak cherry blossom viewing. But climate change means that viewing times are coming earlier than ever. Here’s what you need to know about the changes — and where to go in Japan for the best views.
Japan’s rich sakura history
Cherry blossom trees, or sakura (桜), have a long history in Japan. The country is home to three naturally growing types of cherry blossom trees. The Yamazakura strain is probably the one that most residents identify with Japan. Paeans to cherry blossoms can be read in waka poetry extending back to Japan’s Heian era (794–1185).
Beginning in the Heian era, people began cultivating new strains of cherry blossom trees as well. The earliest was the shidare-zakura (枝垂桜), or weeping cherry blossom tree.
