The bloom began as early as January 30 as the temperature began to rise in the Kanto Region in the West of Japan’s main island Honshu, Japanese newspaper Mainichi reported.
The plum (“ume”) blossom is especially intense in the Yushima Tenman-gū Shrine’s garden in Tokyo’s Bunkyō ward, where about 300 early-blooming plum trees are growing.
The Yushima Tenman-gū Shrine, built in 458, is located not far from the University of Tokyo and is devoted to Tenjin, the god of learning.
This year the bloom started a week earlier than usual, dendrologists say.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, in the first half of February average day temperatures will rise to 18 °C (64°F) compared to average temperatures for this period 9.4°C (49°F).
Plum trees bloom at different times in certain regions of Japan depending on the climate and current weather conditions. On the southernmost island of Okinawa plum trees usually bloom at the very end of January, while on the northernmost island of Hokkaido they bloom no sooner than in the middle of May.
The sakura (cherry) bloom is more spectacular and more famous both in Japan and abroad as one of the symbols of the country. In Okinawa, it begins at the very end of January, the same time as the plum bloom does. But in Tokyo sakura trees normally blossom at the very end of March.
The Japanese have a traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of blooming flowers called “hanami”. It is almost always referred the sakura, less frequently, plum trees.
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