A New Year comes, and Spring is on its way! And now for a moment of poetry.
Ariwara no Narihira (825-880), Tales of Ise #82
"In this world, if only it weren't for the cherry blossoms, my heart of spring would not be in disarray."
世の中に 絶えて桜の なかりせば 春の心は のどけからまし
The Japanese WeatherNews’s weathernews.jp has the first cherry-blossom forecast up this year, but the official Japan Weather Association’s tenki.jp and Weathermap should be updating their sites soon.
＊Check for updates!
Tokyo: 3/22日
Osaka: 3/27
Kyoto: 3/29
Otherwise:
(Kyushu) Fukuoka: 3/22
Hiroshima: 3/26
Niigata: 4/4
Sendai: 4/4
(Hokkaido) Sapporo: 4/29
＊ The cherry blossoms should continue to bloom for five to six days after their peak (full bloom), depending on weather.
Several forecast maps will soon be available online so you can keep up with the moving cherry blossom front.
Cherry Blossom Flowering Date Maps:
Weather News Map (Current State Live)
http://weathernews.jp/sakura/
* At WeatherNews site, click button "Sakura Simulator" for forecast by date.
Mapple Net Map (Current State Live)
http://www.mapple.net/sp_sakura/
Run cursor over the area you are interested in.
JWA Forecast Map (Forecast Prediction)
http://tenki.jp/sakura/expectation
Japan Weather Agency 気象庁の桜の開花予想
(Forecast Prediction)
http://www.hanazakura.jp/
sakura/skaika/kaika2.html
(Unfortunately ended as of 2009)
* See: http://hanazakura.jp/
Enjoy Tokyo Blossom Viewing
http://flower.enjoytokyo.jp/sakura/index.html
Walkerplus Famous Places in Tokyo
http://hanami.walkerplus.com/
Links:
* EnjoyTokyo Department Store Box Lunches for Blossom Viewing
デパ地下のお花見弁当
Tokyo Yokohama Information: Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots (no longer available?)
Japan Guide: Popular Hanami Spots
All About: 江戸の名所で桜を愛でよう
* See also Infoseek for more links (in Japanese):
http://senkuni.org/link/sakura/sakura_saku.html
