Cherry Blossoms Begin to Bloom 5 Days Later Than Last Year in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:58 JST, April 15, 2025

KITAKAMI, Iwate — Someiyoshino cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, a local group said Monday.

Kitakami Sakura no Kai, a group engaged in the protection and maintenance of cherry blossoms in the city, confirmed that the sample tree of Someiyoshino on the premises of the Kitakami city government had started to bloom. This marked the start of cherry blossom season in the city.

The blossoms arrived five days later than last year.

The cherry blossom trees in Kitakami Tenshochi Park were also beginning to bloom. The local government expected them to be in full bloom this weekend.

“The number of visitors to the city recovered to 373,000 last year during the cherry blossom festival, following a drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kitakami Mayor Hirofumi Yaegashi. “Now that Ishitsubute Park has opened, we hope to see even more people coming to our city.”