Think the Earth

It's around this time that cherry trees all across Japan start to blossom , but recently findings from research conducted to unravel the 1,200-year history of cherry blossoms to study the change in climate over time were unveiled.

The associate professor from the Osaka Prefecture University, Mr. Yasuyuki Aono has amassed references about gazing at cherry blossoms and their being in full bloom from old records written by emperors , the nobility, monks, merchants, etc. in Kyoto and extracted data on when cerasus jamasakura cherry trees were in full bloom, and estimated what the March temperatures in Kyoto were like.

Using temperature data from March, you can accurately predict when these cherry trees come into full bloom, so Mr. Aono thought that may be you could do the reverse, to get an idea about what the temperatures were like in March. Making calculations based on collected data that spans over 1,200 years, he learned that during the warm period around the 13th century, when there was an increase in solar activity, the temperatures in March rose in some years even above 7 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, he also learned that the temperatures were quite low and stable during the 17-19th centuries.

In the last 200 years, the temperatures have risen by 3 degrees Celsius, but this is said to have resulted from the rise in temperatures in the entire Kinki area, and the elevated temperatures within cities. This research would not have been possible without people's love for cherry trees that has remained unchanged for 1,200 years.