The National Park Service says Washington's cherry blossom trees have reached peak bloom this week as predicted. Photo courtesy: havecamerawilltravel.com
Currently experiments are under way at laboratories to develop saplings that produce no pollen at all, partly by genetic engineering.
Airborne sugi pollen is now several times higher than in 1965, the Sagamihara National Hospital has estimated.
Methods of treating sugi pollen allergy have improved since the first case was reported in 1963, said Okubo, an ear, nose and throat specialist.
According to the Forestry Agency, planted sugi trees — both state and privately owned — account for 18 percent of all man-made and natural forests in Japan. Hinoki accounts for 10 percent.
Pollen production peaks when trees reach maturity at 30 years old, he said, with around 70 percent of sugi trees planted after the war now that age or older.
Sugi ,light, soft, fragrant and with a delicate patina — has been systematically planted as building material for centuries in Japan.
Pollen from 'sugi' — Cryptomeria japonica — an indigenous cedar-like Japanese evergreen, is held responsible for 70 percent of pollen allergies, and is at its most rampant in March and April.
The latest hit is the battery-powered “Kafun Blocker” a beekeeper-like nylon hood, that its maker claims “shuts out 99.99 percent of pollen” by taking air through a fan and a filter on its top.
Air purifiers, bed cleaners, pollen-absorbing sprays and trench coats that repel pollen and water are also among 'kafun-sho' goods, a market worth an estimated $1.5 billion annually, according to the Nikkei business daily.
Pharmacies are stacked with surgical masks to meet demand that has swelled five-fold over the last decade, alongside glasses, tissues and a bevvy of medicines.
According to surveys, up to one out of every four people among Japan’s 128-million-strong population suffers from 'afun-sho' — literally 'pollen illness'.
For many, the runny nose and sneezing are a minor inconvenience, but for some, the allergy to pollen causes nasty congestion, headaches and a racking coughing. For the unlucky few, asthma and bronchitis can follow.
Weather presenters commiserate with viewers as they show special pollen maps, warning of the density of airborne particles at different locations, before they move on to graphics showing the spread of the celebrated cherry blossoms.
By far the largest source of the irritant is the swathes of man-made woodland that sprang from the nationwide program of tree planting as Japan rebuilt after World War II.
It also heralds a mass outbreak of facemasks and speciality goggles intended to fend off clouds of pollen that make noses stream and eyes itch.
Spring in Japan brings explosions of pink and white cherry blossoms that provide a beautiful backdrop for picnics across this nature-loving country. Photo courtesy: Proteon
Renowned photographer S.Muthukumar who has worked with Kamal Haasan in films like Marudhanayagam, Hey Ram, Chachi 420 trains students on photography as a profession at Amrita School of Communication, Coimbatore, on Saturday. (Photo: DC/File)
The blossoms’ bud development got off to a slow start thanks to cold March temperatures, about 4 degrees below average. But warm temperatures in the first 10 days of April, roughly 2 degrees above average, helped the buds gain some ground.
Spring now seems to have unambiguously arrived in Washington, D.C., finally. This is the second latest peak bloom in Washington, D.C. since 1992.
Now each year the blooming of the trees is marked with a Cherry Blossom Festival. The celebration grew from humble beginnings to a great spring festival drawing thousands of visitors from around the world.
A sea of pink stretches from national monument to national monument. The 3,000 cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.
The National Park Service determined that the blossoms reached peak bloom this year on April 10.
The trees reach full bloom only for a few days, but these days vary each year.
Every year, nearly 1,700 trees burst into colour in a beautiful display of floral fireworks.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs through Sunday.
The Yoshino cherry trees usually bloom for several days. The length of the blooming period depends on the weather.
Last year they reached peak bloom on April 9. The trees bloomed as late as April 18 in 1958. Park officials had predicted a peak bloom this year between April 8 and April 12.
This year's peak bloom comes slightly later than average due to cold weather. The average bloom date since 1992 is March 31. Photo: AP
The park service says the trees reached peak bloom Thursday. That means at least 70 percent of the trees around the Tidal Basin are blossoming with pink and white flowers.