Crowds picnic to see Tokyo's cherry blossoms at full bloom

Crowds picnic to see Tokyo’s cherry blossoms at full bloom

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Thousands of visitors braved the chilly weather on Friday to see the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, which bloomed later than expected in the capital due to recent cold temperatures.

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Visitors look at the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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Visitors stroll along the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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A person takes photos of the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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Visitors take photos of the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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A visitor takes photos of the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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A visitor checks the photos of the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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Visitors walk along the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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People grab a spot for cherry blossom viewing banquet at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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Visitors observe the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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Visitors stroll the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park Friday, April 5, 2024, in Tokyo. Crowds gathered Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands drives past cherry blossoms as he takes part in the first free practice session at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Friday, April 5, 2024, ahead of Sunday’s Japanese Formula One Grand Prix. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

By AYAKA MCGILL

TOKYO (AP) — Crowds gathered Friday to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms in Tokyo, where cold weather has delayed their bloom.

Cherry blossoms, known as “sakura” in Japanese, are the nation’s favorite flower. People often have sakura viewing parties beneath the falling petals, where there are also picnics and sake drinking.

Vidyuth Lakshman, 36, a tourist from Canada, said she’d seen cherry blossoms in her homeland but “not on this scale. The scale here is crazy.”

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

“They’re really breathtaking,” said Silver Shea, 47, a tourist from the United States who was visiting Japan for a month with her 11-year-old daughter. “We leave in about a week, and we were getting nervous that we weren’t going to get to see them blooming.”

Others were also worried about missing the blooms.

“Every day we kept waiting for the cherry blossoms,” said Satya Kandula, 30, another tourist from Canada. “We are leaving tomorrow so we’re so happy that on the last day we got to see the full bloom.”