Climate concerns rise as cherry blossoms bloom early

“PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM!”

Last Sunday, the U.S. National Park Service announced the opening of the cherry blossoms on X, formerly known as Twitter. This announcement aims to promote the early blooming of cherry blossoms at Washington’s Tidal Basin, renowned for its stunning display.

Cherry trees were planted near the Tidal Basin in full swing in 1921. The average peak bloom was typically around April 4. However, due to climate change, the average peak has advanced about six days to March 30th. Specifically, this year’s peak bloom date, March 17, ties for the second earliest on record with 2000, as reported by The Washington Post. The earliest recorded year was 1990, when the peak bloom occurred on March 15.

Washington, known for its more than 4,000 cherry trees, will host the National Cherry Blossom Festival from March 23 to April 7. Even before the festival begins, visitors are already enjoying blossoms here and there throughout the city

A similar phenomenon occurs in Japan, a country often associated with cherry blossoms. According to Bloomberg, the Japan Weather Association, which publishes the annual Cherry Blossom Prediction Map, recently announced that “cherry blossoms in major cities across the country, including Nagoya and Fukuoka, are expected to bloom earlier than usual.” The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that the average peak in the capital, Tokyo, has been advancing by 1.2 days per decade since 1953. Early cherry blossoms have also been observed in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Vancouver, Canada.

An analysis shows that this is related to rising global temperatures. According to the Tokyo Bureau of Environment, Tokyo's average temperature has risen by 3 degrees Celsius over the past 100 years. Additionally, the European Union revealed that this January was the warmest on record globally.


Jeong-Soo Hong hong@donga.com