Cherry blossoms start blooming in Tokyo

According to the agency, the first buds have opened on a benchmark Somei-Yoshino cherry tree at Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda Ward.

The blooming date was the same as in an average year and five days earlier than last year.

Cherry trees in the Japanese capital are expected to be in full bloom in about a week.

On Sunday, the western city of Kochi and the southwestern city of Kumamoto were the first in the country to see this season's cherry blossoms.

On Monday, cherry trees also began having flowers in the southwestern cities of Nagasaki, Miyazaki and Kagoshima.

Thanks to warm weather since mid-March, cherry blossoms are coming into bloom across Japan.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Photo by Reuters