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

Cherry blossom season, nature's original Instagram bait, has come early this year 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 nearly three-hour train ride away from the city—has already transformed into a pink wonderland.

As you might expect, the Kawazu trees aren't your average cherry blossom trees. Known as the Kawazu-zakura, this breed of cherry blossom tree has a reputation of flowering before all others. While Japan's cherry blossom trees often don't start to bud until late March and early April—a time that sees peak tourism for the country as it's celebrated with festivals across towns and cities—the Kawazu tree is special. Tokyo, for instance, won't allegedly be in full bloom until March 30, while cherry blossom trees in Muroran, Hokkaido are predicted to flower on May 6 and bloom a handful of days later.

Another thing that distinguishes the Kawazu-zakura is its incredibly pink hue—you'll notice from photos that the trees in Kawazu have a much stronger pigmentation than those in Tokyo and other cities in Japan. For this reason, "The Kawazu-zakura Cherry Blossom Festival"—which runs through March 10—attracts a million people each year, according to the town's website.

Cherry blossom season is depressingly short. Typically, it only lasts around two weeks, leaving a very short window for travelers to take in the beauty and, of course, capture the perfect Instagram. However, since Kawazu's trees kick off the cherry blossom season, you could conceivably embark on a cherry blossom crawl, hopping from one budding town to the next. For the rest of us who don't have that luxury, there's always social media.