From Izu comes news that the Kawazu cherry blossoms are in full bloom as seen in the photos. According to the flowering forecast announced by the Shizuoka Prefectural Institute of Agriculture and Forestry Technology, Izu Agricultural Research Center in Higashiizu Town on the 25th, in the case of one-third blooming, Kawazu Town blooms on February 10th and Minamiizu Town on February 9th, which is still 6 days earlier in Kawazu Town and 5 days earlier in Minamiizu Town compared to last year, so the cherry blossoms in the photo are It was in full bloom quite early.
Kawazu cherry blossoms are known for their long viewing period from blooming to falling, lasting a month. However, the best time to see them is said to be when they are 6-8 days away from full bloom, as they have a vibrant appearance. While it would be ideal to enjoy cherry blossoms during their full bloom period, predicting the exact timing for Kawazu cherry blossoms is quite challenging. The full bloom period lasts at most around one week, and after reaching full bloom, the petals do not fall immediately, but the vigor of the flowers diminishes as leaves emerge.
The annual Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival has been held between February 10th and March 10th since 2015. However, due to the trend of earlier flowering in recent years, the festival has been scheduled from February 1st starting in 2022. Yet, with the rapid warming trend, it is anticipated that the festival’s timing may need to be adjusted even earlier in the coming years.

伊豆からの便りでは写真の様に河津桜は満開です。東伊豆町にある静岡県農林技術研究所伊豆農業研究センターが25日に発表した開花予想では、二分咲きで、河津町が２月１０日、南伊豆町は同９日で、これでも昨年比で河津町は６日、南伊豆町は５日早いといいますから、写真のさくらは随分早く満開になったものです。河津桜は開花から落花まで１ヶ月ととても長く見れる桜ですが、満開になる前の６～８分咲きが花に勢いがあり見頃だと言われています。満開の期間に花見ができれば最高ですが、河津桜の場合予想するのがとても難しく、満開期間は最大１週間程度で、満開を過ぎると花は散らないのですが葉が出て花の勢いが落ちます。毎年開催される「河津桜まつり」も、2015年以降は例年2月10日～3月10日の期間で開催されてきましたが、開花時期が近年早まる傾向にあることから、2022年以降は2月1日からの開催されています。しかし、最近の急激な温暖化傾向から、開催時期が更に早くなることが予想されます。