Last weekend, the cherry blossoms in my neighborhood were in full bloom. Since they’re only in bloom for about a week each year, whenever I see them, I can’t help but want to take a photo to capture the moment.

Cherry Blossoms in Transition

The cherry blossoms we commonly refer to are of the “Somei Yoshino” variety. They are a pale pink, almost white, and are planted in various places, such as parks and along roads.

Did you know that the number of Somei-Yoshino cherry trees has actually been declining over the past few years?

Somei-Yoshino trees, which were widely planted after World War II, have a relatively short lifespan of about 60 years, so they are now all reaching the end of their lives at the same time.

As these aging Somei-Yoshino trees have become hollow inside, they are at risk of falling during disasters like typhoons, making them extremely dangerous. For this reason, Somei-Yoshino trees are being replaced with a variety called “Jindai-Akebono.”

“Jindai-Akebono” is characterized by flowers that are a slightly deeper shade of pink than those of the Somei Yoshino variety, and it blooms one to two days earlier than the Somei Yoshino. The pale pink color we refer to as “sakura-iro” may come to be recognized as a slightly deeper shade of pink in the future.