text: Earliest ever cherry blossoms in Tokyo
  
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  Photos:Earliest ever cherry blossoms in Tokyo
  
  Early bloomers – Tokyoites hit the parks over the weekend as sakura (Japanese cherry blossom) season got off to a record early start.
  
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  Photos:Earliest ever cherry blossoms in Tokyo
  
  Unusual warmth – Parts of Japan, including Tokyo, have seen record high spring temperatures, leading to the early blooming.
  
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  Photos:Earliest ever cherry blossoms in Tokyo
  
  Picnic in the park – Viewing the sakura is so popular that at most of Tokyo's best cherry blossom parks, wannabe picnickers need to arrive by 8 a.m. just to reserve some turf.
  
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  Photos:Earliest ever cherry blossoms in Tokyo
  
  Hanami party – Hanami parties, usually a walk in a park or a picnic under the trees, date back centuries to when it was primarily a royal or aristocratic activity. There are more than one hundred cherry tree varieties in Japan. The most popular variety is the Yoshino Somei.
  
  Crowd pleasing – The sakura season is short and lasts only one to two weeks after the first flowers bloom. Next weekend is expected to be the highlight of the season, where scenes like this (from last year) will be commonplace.
  
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  Story highlights
  
  Unusually warm weather leads to early blooming
  
  Coming weekend predicted to be season highlight
  
  Japan's prettiest national pastime of hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, has got off to its earliest start ever.
  
  The Japan Meteorological Agency announced the beginning of cherry blossom, or 'sakura,' season over the weekend.
  
  The declaration came after the agency's designated index tree at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine showed the first flowers in bloom on Saturday, the Daily Yomiuri reported.
  
  That's 10 days earlier than average and 15 days earlier than last year -- and due to unusually warm weather.
  
  Visitors contemplating a quick trip to see the sakura should take note: the best time to see the blooming cherry trees should be next weekend, when the flowers are expected to be at their full glory.