Living history: 160-year-old Ujikuni-zakura cherry tree blooms at Hachigata Castle

In Japan’s Hachigata Castle Park (Saitama Prefecture), a famous 160-year-old cherry blossom tree standing 18 meters tall has come into bloom. The tree is known as the Ujikuni-zakura, named in honor of the medieval ruler Hojo Ujikuni.

According to THP, citing the "Большая Азия" media outlet, the flowering season in Japan began earlier than usual this year due to abnormally warm weather. In Nagoya, for instance, the average February temperature was 2.4°C above the norm.