Crowds gather to see cherry blossoms at peak bloom in Tokyo

Cherry blossoms at Ueno Park in Tokyo (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

Crowds gathered on Friday in Tokyo to enjoy Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, which are blooming later than expected in the capital because of cold weather.

Cherry blossoms in Osaka, western Japan (Kyodo News/AP)

(Kyodo News/AP)

Cherry blossoms, known as “sakura” in Japanese, are the country’s favourite flower, and people often have sakura viewing parties beneath the falling petals. There are picnics and sake drinking.

Visitors stroll along the seasonal cherry blossoms at the Ueno Park in Tokyo (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

Max Verstappen drives past cherry blossoms in the first free practice session at the Suzuka Circuit ahead of Sunday’s Japanese Formula One Grand Prix (Hiro Komae/AP)

The trees are usually at peak bloom in late March to early April, the same time the country begins a new school and business year.

A visitor checks photos of the seasonal cherry blossoms at Ueno Park (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

The blossoms are blooming later than expected (Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

(Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

(Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

(Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

(Eugene Hoshiko/AP)