After a long winter, signs of spring are finally arriving in Hokkaido. In early April 2026, the blooming of what's said to be one of the "earliest" cherry blossoms in Sapporo was confirmed. The person who posts observations of the same tree every year was also surprised, saying, "It's unusually early this year." So, where exactly is this spot?

The location is an Ezo-yamazakura (Sargent's cherry) tree right outside Exit 6 of Miyanosawa Station on the Subway Tozai Line. In the past, it was common for cherry blossoms in Sapporo to bloom around the Golden Week holidays, but this year's bloom is particularly early. The poster commented on the early April sighting, saying, "It's unusually early this year."

Are the 2026 cherry blossoms really blooming early? Here's the latest forecast.

Observing the same cherry tree at the same location every year. This is from 2023.

The person observing this tree every year is Sapporo resident Tomohiro M. NAKAYAMA. According to him, this cherry tree "tends to bloom early due to the warm air from the underground/building vents and the radiant heat from the walls." Typically, it would bloom around April 10th to 20th.

The tree in 2024.

The tree in 2025.

However, the branches of this cherry tree were reportedly pruned two days after these photos were taken, and almost all the blooming parts were removed. While it's unfortunate, cherry blossom buds are already starting to appear elsewhere in Sapporo. The latest forecast predicts the first bloom on April 18th and full bloom on April 22nd. The cherry blossom season in Hokkaido has arrived much earlier than before. The long-awaited spring is just around the corner!