Japan's 1st cherry blooms in Hiroshima, 2nd earliest on record

Cherry flowers came into bloom on Thursday in Hiroshima ahead of other parts of the country, for the second-earliest time on record since observations began in 1953, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.It is the first time the country's earliest blooming of the "Somei Yoshino" variety for a season has been observed in Hiroshima, western Japan.The earliest ever blooming was recorded on March 10, 2010 in the city of Kochi, according to the agency.At Shukkeien Garden in Hiroshima, an agency official found more than five flowers on a tree designated for observation Thursday afternoon, fulfilli…READ FULL ARTICLE