Those who booked their flights early in hope of seeing the cherry trees blossom are in for a disappointment. This year’s forecast for the pink sakura blossoms has just been revised. Due to some crazy cold weather this winter, the sakura will bloom later than usual, starting in Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kagoshima in the south around Mar 23. The blossoms are then scheduled to move upward to Kyoto (Mar 29), Hiroshima (Mar 30), Tokyo (Mar 30) and Osaka (Mar 31). The tsunami-affected prefecture Sendai will see the cherry blossom in mid April and the pink season will end at the northernmost Sapporo around early May. Sakura only bloom for a week, so check the forecast carefully before planning your trip at www.jnto.go.jp/sakura/eng/index.php.