According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMC), this year's season will be more or less in line with last year's, which actually came a bit earlier than expected.

Southern areas of Japan are typically the first to see these beautiful flowers burst into bloom, and then they slowly make their way north. Here are the current projections for major regions so far:

Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture - March 20
Osaka, Osaka Prefecture - March 25
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture - March 21
Tokyo - March 19
Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture - April 7
Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture - April 30

Interestingly, Tokyo is predicted to bloom quite early this year, even compared to last! Based on current projections, visitors will have over a month in which they can see sakura throughout the country.

Obviously, we're still a few months away from spring, so the forecast is subject to change. As newer forecasts are available, we'll be sure to update, so check back here regularly if you're planning a visit!