Sakura season in Japan forecast to begin in March 2025

PSA to all who love Sakura season and are considering heading to Japan to see cherry blossoms bloom.

The Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC) has released its first forecast of when 2025's cherry blossoms will start to flower across 1,000 viewing locations in cities from Hokkaido in the north to Kagoshima in the south.

In a press release on Jan. 9, 2025, it predicted that cherry blossoms would begin to flower from Mar. 22 in Fukuoka.

Cherry blossoms in Osaka are predicted to flower from Mar. 27.

There's also a forecast for when the trees will be in full bloom.

Tokyo is forecasted to see full bloom on Mar. 31, while Osaka will see full bloom on Apr. 3.

As this is the first forecast, JMC said it will provide the next update on Jan. 23.

Prediction method

JMC shared that cherry blossoms' flowering and full bloom dates depend on the temperature patterns from the previous year, as the buds of cherry blossoms are formed during the summer.

Once formed, the buds do not start growing as they enter a dormant period to survive winter. After winter, they begin to grow as temperatures rise.

JMC devised its own method for forecasting flowering and full bloom dates. It estimates the dates for each area based on low temperatures during autumn and winter, cherry tree growth status, cumulative temperatures, and past data for each location.

Top photos via Unsplash & JMC