Cherry blossoms are usually a symbol of spring, but a group in the Tohoku region has been studying ways to delay the blooms by several months to showcase the flowers at the opening ceremonies of next summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Based in Murayama, Yamagata Prefecture, the group has been utilizing a snow-filled storage facility to adjust when the local Keio-zakura variety blooms.
They launched the project in 2017 with the goal of displaying the blossoms at the Tokyo Games and have improved their technique in the years since.