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Understanding the business of Japan's cherry-blossom season

The Japanese government wants to attract 40 million foreign visitors by 2020-when it hosts the Olympics-up from a record 31.2 million in 2018

People look at cherry blossoms in almost full bloom in Tokyo, Japan
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Cherry blossoms and elaborate hanami setups are practically made for social media—particularly Instagram, which has fueled the boom in cherry-blossom tourism

Chloe Whiteaker, Marika Katanuma and Paul Murray | Bloomberg
There’s a popular saying in Japanese: dumplings over blossoms—meaning substance is better than beauty. But that might sell short the phenomenon of cherry-blossom season in Japan. Over the course of a few weeks, cherry trees across the country burst into bloom, painting the country in shades of pink and white. It’s become a national obsession with growing global appeal—and it’s a boon to Japan’s economy.

An estimated 63 million people travel to and within Japan to view the bloom, spending around $2.7 billion (301 billion yen) in the process, according to an analysis from Kansai University. With the bloom currently

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