The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival began on April 17th at Hirosaki Park (Shiragincho, Hirosaki City).

The garden has 2,600 cherry blossoms in a garden of about 492,000 square meters, which is equivalent to more than 10 Tokyo Domes. The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival coincides with Golden Week because the best time to see Yoshino cherry trees is from late April to early May, and cherry blossom viewing visitors come from all over the country. Last year, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the Sakura Festival was canceled and the park was closed.

This year's cherry blossoms have been blooming early in Thailand, the second largest in history since 1947 (Showa 22), when records remain. The flowering status of Yoshino cherry trees announced by the Park and Green Space Division of the Urban Development Department of Hirosaki City at 11:00 on the same day is that the garden (standard tree) blooms for 4 minutes, the outer moat blooms for 5 to 7 minutes, and the cherry blossom tunnel blooms for 3 minutes. The full bloom is expected after April 18.

The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival will start on April 17th as the "Semi-Sakura Festival" to coincide with the early blooming. The opening ceremony, various events scheduled to be held in the park, and guides to interact with people were canceled from the viewpoint of preventing the spread of the new coronavirus.

To enter the park, it is necessary to check the temperature, disinfect, and wear a mask at the reception desks opened at 9 entrances, and fill in the place of residence and contact information. You can also apply online in advance. Eating and drinking is prohibited in the park except at designated places, and one-way traffic is restricted and signs calling for requests are set up.

The weather on the first day of the opening was cloudy in the morning and light rain began to flicker in the afternoon. A woman in her 40s who works at a street stall says, "The number of cherry blossom viewing visitors is smaller than usual. Some people come from outside the prefecture, but they tend to be reluctant to keep the distance." A man in his 50s said, "This year's cherry blossoms are already scattered during Golden Week, so it may have been better because the number of cherry blossom viewing visitors from outside the prefecture has decreased."

At a press conference held on April 12, Mayor Hiroshi Sakurada said, "If the cherry blossoms bloom, people will gather. If the festival is canceled, the park will become disordered and the risk of infection will increase. Because the park will not be closed like last year. We decided to hold the festival in a way that people can enjoy the cherry blossoms with peace of mind, taking measures against infectious diseases. "

The Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival is open until May 5th.