spring

Spring is a great time for fans of wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets. While many wagashi reflect the seasons all year long visually — especially the colorful, beautifully formed nerikiri created by skilled artisans — this is the time of year when you can taste, ...

This spring's first bloom of the popular Somei-Yoshino variety of cherry tree was reported on Thursday, the Meteorological Agency said. The bloom was confirmed in the city of Kochi, seven days earlier than usual and 14 days earlier than last year, a local unit of ...

A winter storm continued to batter wide areas of Hokkaido and Tohoku on Friday, leading to the death of one man and significant transportation disruptions. A strong low pressure system caused a blizzard, and some areas in Hokkaido saw snowfall of more than 50 centimeters ...

Every spring, people across Japan are enraptured as the cherry trees explode into bloom, clothing the country in pink.

A combination of rain showers and tax prep in March signal Tokyo's segue into spring. Cherry blossoms are nearly in bud, but cold, damp days of crunching fiscal figures can put people in dour moods. After wandering a wet backstreet, absorbing little more than precipitation, ...

In recent years, more and more corporations have been adding some "sakura" flair to their products. Here are some of the top items that are blooming this year.

For the most part, Lawson's new Sakura Kaoru Cheese Souffle Cake looks more intriguing than it actually tastes, though it packs a surprise twist. The cake (¥230) looks as pretty as a convenience store offering can be, themed after the soon-to-arrive cherry blossoms. Despite its ...

It may not feel like it, but spring is right around the corner, and for the nation's dessert makers that means everything gets a bit pink as they capitalize on the coming of the ever-fleeting cherry blossoms. Patisserie Kihachi has gotten in on the ephemeral ...

Pharmaceutical companies are deploying a whole new generation of high-tech products in the fight against the seasonal irritant