Japan’s Cherry Blossom Database, 1,200 Years Old, Has a New Keeper
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- For over 1,200 years, Japanese noblemen, monks, and bureaucrats have recorded the annual cherry blossom bloom dates in Kyoto, creating one of the longest-running climate records in the world.
- Climate scientist Yasuyuki Aono had been the recent keeper of this record, noting earlier blooming trends linked to global warming, until his death from cancer last summer.
- Following Prof. Aono's passing, efforts to find a successor with scientific expertise and local knowledge of Kyoto's Arashiyama district initially struggled.
- The role has now been filled by Genki Katata, a Tokyo-based environmental biophysicist, who has agreed to continue maintaining the historic cherry blossom bloom records.
