Spring is right around the corner, and blooming cherry blossoms have already started attracting nature lovers and shutterbugs in Japan. /VCG Photo

Blooming Sakura, Japan's unofficial national flower, can already be spotted in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, though the country’s weather authority forecasts that blooming season in Tokyo will fall on March 24. /VCG Photo

Visitors began flocking to the historic place, which was the residence of the Naito family of feudal lords in the Edo period, to snap pictures and enjoy the uplifting scene. /VCG Photo

Sakura blossoms in Japan bloom at different times depending on their location. The Japan Weather Association is tasked with projecting the timings of the flower’s full bloom period across the country each year and drafting a map for visitors. Naha, the capital of Japan’s southernmost Okinawa Prefecture witnesses the earliest bloom in January while northeast Japan’s Aomori has the latest timing at the end of April. /VCG Photo