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The Guardian view on Japan’s cherry blossom: when spring slips out of time
A 1,200-year dataset shows the ‘peak bloom’ is arriving earlier. Global heating is unsettling nature’s rhythms – and their cultural meaning
TL;DR
- A 1,200-year dataset shows cherry blossom peak bloom in Kyoto is arriving about two weeks earlier than in previous centuries.
- Warmer spring temperatures, linked to global heating, are causing this earlier blooming phenomenon.
- The shift disrupts Japan's cultural traditions like hanami (cherry blossom viewing) and impacts the $9 billion tourism industry.
- Professor Yasuyuki Aono, who reconstructed the historical data, died before recording the 2026 entry.
- The data, originally compiled as a chronology and later recognized as climate records by Hidetoshi Arakawa, highlights long-term trends.
- Similar early blooming trends are observed in Washington D.C. for cherry trees gifted by Japan.