Japan’s cherry trees have been blossoming earlier due to warmer spring temperatures

The peak flowering of cherry trees in Kyoto, Japan, has been recorded since the ninth century.

Yasuyuki Aono and colleagues from the Osaka Prefecture University collated this data from historical diaries and chronicles, indicating the dates on which cherry blossom viewing parties had been held or other observations of peak blossom.

In 2025, the peak cherry blossom happened on April 4th.

This long-run data is a proxy measure for how the climate has changed. The onset of cherry blossoms is linked with warmer temperatures.

Since the early 20th century, the combined effects of urbanization and higher temperatures due to climate change have gradually moved the peak blossom earlier in the year.

Explore this data in our interactive visualization →

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