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Crowds gather to see cherry blossoms at peak bloom in Tokyo

Cherry blossoms at Ueno Park in Tokyo (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)
Cherry blossoms at Ueno Park in Tokyo (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

Crowds gathered on Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather.

Japan Cherry Blossoms
Cherry blossoms in Osaka, western Japan (Kyodo News/AP)
Japan Cherry Blossoms
(Kyodo News/AP)

Cherry blossoms, known as “sakura” in Japanese, are the country’s favourite flower, and people often have sakura viewing parties beneath the falling petals. There are picnics and sake drinking.

Japan Cherry Blossoms
Visitors stroll along the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park in Tokyo (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)
Japan cherry blossom
Max Verstappen drives past cherry blossoms in the first free practice session at the Suzuka Circuit ahead of Sunday’s Japanese Formula One Grand Prix (Hiro Komae/AP)

The trees are usually at peak bloom in late March to early April, the same time the country begins a new school and business year.

Japan Cherry Blossoms
A visitor checks photos of the seasonal cherry blossoms at Ueno Park (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)
Japan Cherry Blossoms
The blossoms are blooming later than expected (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)
Japan Cherry Blossoms
(Eugene Hoshiko/AP)
Japan Cherry Blossoms
(Eugene Hoshiko/AP)
Japan Cherry Blossoms
(Eugene Hoshiko/AP)
Japan Cherry Blossoms
(Eugene Hoshiko/AP)