Tokyo expected to be mainland Japan’s earliest bloomer in sakura season

Cherry blossoms in Japan last about two weeks and herald the dawn of spring. - AFP

TOKYO: Tokyo is poised to buck historical trends and become the first area on mainland Japan where the famous sakura (cherry blossoms) flower and enter full bloom.

In fact, the ephemeral flower, which lasts about two weeks and heralds the dawn of spring, is blooming earlier than before across the country due to global warming.