KOCHI (Kyodo) -- Cherry trees have begun to bloom in Kochi on Japan's western island of Shikoku, marking the opening of the season in 2025 and the second consecutive year the city has recorded the country's earliest bloom of the Somei Yoshino, the most common cherry variety, the weather agency said.

At around 2:30 p.m., the specimen tree in the Sannomaru, the largest terrace of Kochi Castle, was confirmed to have more than five blossoms -- the standard for declaring official flowering, the agency said, adding full bloom is expected in about a week.

On Sunday, high pressure over western and eastern Japan, including Tokyo, brought widespread sunshine, with many areas experiencing temperatures of 25 C or higher, a level defined by the agency as a "summer day."