The crowds might be thinner and parties smaller, but warnings from officials over the coronavirus have done little to stop Japanese people celebrating as the country's famed cherry trees explode into bloom.
People packed into traditional blossom hotspots in Tokyo, many not even wearing face masks, to admire the fluffy white and pink flowers hanging from delicate stems.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike admitted that taking cherry blossom parties away from Japanese was like "taking hugs away from Italians", but urged people to avoid gathering in large groups to drink and snack under the trees. "I come here every year.
I feel bad if I miss it," Etsuo Fujisawa, a 57-year-old dental technician told AFP as he walked through the city's Ueno Park where