Cherry blossoms in Tokyo (Japan) at the end of March 2021. -
SOPA Images / SIPA
The city of Kyoto (Japan) experienced a particularly early cherry blossom peak this year.
The phenomenon reached its peak on Friday, March 26, records from Osaka University show.
Never has flowering occurred so early in the year since AD 812, when the Japanese began recording flowering dates, reports the
BBC
.
So far, the record for earliness in Kyoto dated back to 1409, according to data from the imperial court records.
That year, the peak was observed on March 27.
Today was the peak of flowering in Nakano 🌸🌸🌸 The Japanese take the opportunity to go to the Arayakushi temple which had brought out the stalls for the occasion and do the hanami drive (pass under the cherry trees by car, convertible if possible 🚗 ) #Tokyo #Japan pic.twitter.com/145UTjFzuB
- wakuwakunippon (@sof_wakuwaku) March 27, 2021
An index of climate change
The flowering date of these trees over the centuries provides valuable information on the climate.
The census makes it possible to "reconstitute the climatic conditions of the past and illustrate the local increases in temperature associated with urbanization and global warming", thus estimate the authors of a study on the subject, published in 2009 in the journal
Biological Conservation
.
Since 1800, the date of maturity of flowers keeps moving forward in the calendar.
The development has gradually caused the phenomenon to be delayed from mid-April to the beginning of April.
The peak of flowering gives rise to an event called "hanami" in Japanese.
It is traditionally watched in the country and marks the symbolic beginning of spring.
This key moment, celebrated with family or friends by the Japanese also has an important cultural and economic dimension.
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