First sakura projections released yesterday!

Exciting news from yesterday if you're a fan of cherry blossoms! The Japan Meteorological Corporation released its first sakura forecast for 2026, giving a little sneak peek about when they're expected to start flowering and reach full bloom across the country.

According to the forecast, we're looking at a slightly earlier than average year in many major cities. Tokyo and Nagoya are both expected to see flowering begin around March 19th (about five days earlier than usual), with full bloom following in late March. Kyoto and Osaka are forecast to flower around March 24th, while cities further north like Sendai and Sapporo will bloom later in April. 

Of course, revisions will happen to those dates as we get closer to the season, but if you keep an eye on the JMC website you'll be in the know as soon as they release any updates.