Cherry trees have begun to bloom in Kochi in western Japan and Kumamoto in the southwest, marking the opening of the 2025 season. It is the second consecutive year that Kochi has recorded the country's earliest bloom of Somei Yoshino, the most common cherry variety, the weather agency said Sunday.At around 2:30 p.m., the specimen tree in Sannomaru, the largest terrace at Kochi Castle, was confirmed to have more than five blossoms -- the standard for declaring an official flowering, the agency said, adding full blooms are expected in about a week.Meanwhile in Kumamoto, the declaration came t…READ FULL ARTICLE
