Stages of the Cherry Blossom Season in Japan
Sakura = cherry blossoms
The cherry blossom season lasts about 2 weeks on average. Some years are longer and others are shorter. I remember one year there were several days of heavy rain during this time which shortened the season to barely even a week. Most of the blossoms and bunches of blossoms were knocked off whole at that time. This year it has arrived about 5 days early (on March 21, 2016 in the Tokyo area) with some mixed cold weather slowing down the process, so we’re expecting a little longer season this year.
tsubomi = buds
sakihajime = beginning to bloom
kaikasengen = declaration of the opening of the Sakura season: 5-6 fully bloomed blossoms.
ichibuzaki to kyuubuzaki = 10% bloom to 90%bloom
mankai = full bloom
chirihajime = blossom begin to fall
sakura fubuki = cherry blossom blizzard (looks like pink snow)
hazakura = end of the blossoms as the green leaves appear
hanami = flower viewing parties held throughout any/all parts of the sakura season
sakura zensen = cherry blossom front (like weather front) that starts from Okinawa and makes its way north to Hokkaido.
*Please Note: much of the footage is from the former cherry blossom season
