Cherry farmers in Yamagata Prefecture, northeastern Japan, are busy with artificial pollination work as their trees burst into full bloom.
A roughly 10-hectare orchard in Tendo City is growing more than 2,000 cherry trees. The white flowers of its flagship Satonishiki brand are in full bloom, ready for pollination.
On Tuesday, six workers pollinated each blossom using a special device equipped with bird feathers.
The farming company, Anthree Farm, said its cherry trees started blooming about six days earlier than usual due to the mild winter that resulted in little snow. It added that it expects high-quality cherries this year because the trees have suffered little frost damage.
The company president, Adachi Fuminori, said this year's timetable is ahead of schedule due to the warm weather. He said he would manage it to deliver tasty cherries across the nation.
The firm plans to start picking and shipping the fruit around June 6.