Coronavirus: Japan’s cherry blossom season has come early – too bad there’s no one around to enjoy it

In a typical year, the blossoms’ arrival mark the start of two weeks of unabashed merrymaking at traditional ‘hanami’ celebrations

But warnings against large gatherings and a focus on ‘social distancing’ mean few Japanese will be seen celebrating frolicking under the flowers this year

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A man wearing a face mask amid fears over the spread of the coronavirus walks past cherry blossom trees at Ueno park in Tokyo earlier hits month. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:00pm, 16 Mar 2020Updated: 11:37pm, 16 Mar 2020

Japan’s eagerly anticipated cherry blossom season has arrived – but a shortage of foreign tourists and government health warnings for people to avoid large gatherings amid the coronavirus crisis is turning the occasion into a damp squib.

The sakura trees in central Tokyo began blossoming on Saturday, a full 12 days earlier than average and two days earlier than the previous earliest date of March 16 recorded in 2002 and 2013, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

On a typical year the announcement, which the agency makes based on the flowering of a famous tree in the grounds of Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo, marks the beginning of a fortnight of unabashed merrymaking by the nation’s often reserved citizens – with companies, university groups, neighbours and friends gathering for annual hanami (flower viewing) celebrations, a tradition whose roots can be traced back to 12th century Kamakura period.

But as the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the country surpassed the 1,500 mark with 31 deaths – including about 700 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo – the government has issued a recommendation against people gathering in traditional hanami spots, such as Ueno Park in central Tokyo or the grounds of the Japan Mint in Osaka.

With “social distancing” also encouraged by many companies and employees increasingly working from home, in part to avoid Japan’s notoriously crowded public transport, drinking and singing karaoke beneath the blossoms is not a priority this year.

A group of colleagues raise their glasses for a toast as they picnic under cherry blossoms in a park in Tokyo in 2017. Photo: AFP

“I’ve always looked forward to cherry blossom season, and I think the vast majority of Japanese are the same,” said Seiichi Yoda, a 78-year-old retired businessman from Yokohama.

As a marker of spring’s arrival, the blossoms signify an “important time of the year” when winter is finally over and change is in the air, he said.

Coronavirus: Japan’s cherry blossom season has come early – too bad there’s no one around to enjoy it

In a typical year, the blossoms’ arrival mark the start of two weeks of unabashed merrymaking at traditional ‘hanami’ celebrations But warnings against large gatherings and a focus on ‘social distancing’ mean few Japanese will be seen celebrating frolicking under the flowers this year

In a typical year, the blossoms’ arrival mark the start of two weeks of unabashed merrymaking at traditional ‘hanami’ celebrations

But warnings against large gatherings and a focus on ‘social distancing’ mean few Japanese will be seen celebrating frolicking under the flowers this year