Services that allow people to view cherry blossoms from the comfort of their own homes have been increasing as of late, amid a mood of self-restraint due to the spread of the new coronavirus.
Hibiya-Kadan Floral Co. based in Tokyo launched a campaign Friday, titled "#Uchihanami" (flower viewing at home), that offers customers flower branches cut every Friday at 100 yen apiece, excluding tax, at about 60 stores nationwide. "As my family members will get together this weekend, I want to enjoy the atmosphere of cherry blossom viewing," said a 60-year-old housewife of Minato Ward, Tokyo, who bought a cherry tree branch at the company's Hibiya-Kadan Style Shinbashi Station outlet on the same day.
There is also a service where people can see sites for cherry blossom viewing across the nation via virtual reality. Weathernews Inc., which provides meteorological information, made the "Ohanami VR" (cherry blossom viewing in VR) available to the public for free as a smartphone app. Users can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of about 30 scenic views nationwide, including Ueno Park and Miharu Takizakura in Fukushima Prefecture, said to be one of the three major cherry trees in Japan.
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