One of the most famous cherry blossoms, and most likely the sakura that people inside and outside Japan think of when discussing cherry blossoms, is the Somei Yoshino variety of cherry blossoms. They were first cultivated in the Edo Period in the Tokyo region, and they are the most cultivated variety of cherry blossoms. From the countless images I have taken and the experiences I’ve had over two decades traveling Japan leading Japan tours capturing sakura, their beauty is breathtaking. I have seen them blooming in Mid- to Late-March in the southern regions of Japan, Kyushu, and the Shikoku regions, which tend to warm faster than their northern counterparts in the Tohoku region or near my satellite office in Niigata, Japan. However, I have also seen them as late as May in full bloom in Aomori and other prefectures near the tip of Honshu, Japan’s main island.