Cherry Blossom Season in Kawazu, Japan Has Arrived—Take a Look

Cherry blossom season, nature's most Instagrammable time of year, has come early in Japan. While a forecast by the Japan Meteorological Corporation didn't predict its start date until March 22 in Tokyo, the town of Kawazu—a three-hour train ride from the capital—has already transformed into a pink wonderland.

As you might suspect from looking at travelers' vivid pictures of the blooming town, these aren't your average cherry trees. Known as the Kawazu-zakura, this particular breed flowers especially early. Japan's other cherry trees often don't start to bud until late March or early April—peak tourism time, as the blossoms are celebrated with festivals across the country. Tokyo, for instance, won't be in full bloom until March 30, while cherry trees in Muroran, Hokkaido, are predicted to flower in early May.

Another thing that distinguishes the Kawazu-zakura is its incredibly pink hue. These blossoms have a much stronger pigmentation than those in Tokyo and other cities in Japan. For this reason, the Kawazu-zakura Cherry Blossom Festival, which continues until March 10, attracts a million people each year, according to the town's website.

Like the blossoms themselves—which are symbols of the fragility and transient nature of life—the season is depressingly short. Typically, it lasts only about two weeks, leaving a very short window for travelers to take in the beauty of the blooms. Since Kawazu's trees kick off cherry blossom season, however, you could conceivably embark on a cherry blossom crawl, hopping from one budding town to the next. For those of us who don't have that luxury, there's always Instagram.