Japan’s Aging Cherry Trees Get AI-Powered Help

As Japan's renowned cherry trees age, a new AI tool is emerging as a key ally in their preservation.

With the beloved "sakura" season marking the arrival of spring, the stunning pink and white blossoms attract both locals and visitors, making the trees an integral part of Japan's cultural landscape.

However, many of these trees are now 70 to 80 years old, far beyond their prime blooming years, increasing the costs and effort required to maintain them and preserve key flowering spots.

To address this challenge, Kirin, the brewing giant, has developed the Sakura AI Camera, an innovative tool designed to assess the health of cherry trees through photos taken on smartphones.

Users can upload their images to a website, where the AI analyses the trees’ condition and age using a five-point scale that ranges from "very healthy" to "worrying."

The system, currently available only in Japanese, provides insights into each tree's health based on visual data, including the density and extent of the blossoms.

Trained on 5,000 cherry tree images with input from experts, the AI tool offers valuable information about each tree's status and location.

Google translated version of how the Sakura AI Camera works

Kirin’s Risa Shioda explained:

"We heard that the preservation of sakura requires manpower and money and that it's difficult to gather information. I think we can contribute by making it easier to plan for conservation."

Since its launch last month, the Sakura AI Camera has collected over 20,000 photos, with the resulting data freely accessible to local authorities for use in their conservation efforts.

This AI-powered initiative represents a promising step in preserving Japan's iconic cherry blossoms for future generations.

Preserving Sakura Blossoms Become a Challenge Thanks to Climate Change

In Tokyo’s Meguro Ward, renowned for its cherry tree-lined riverbanks, the cost of replanting a single cherry tree is approximately 1 million yen (US$6,800).

Hiroyuki Wada, a specialist with the Japan Tree Doctors Association who oversees the health of cherry trees at major sites across Tokyo, played a key role in supervising the development of the new AI tool.

Wada hopes the technology will aid experts in understanding the environmental factors contributing to the decline of certain trees.

In part, he blames climate change, saying:

"I'm very worried. Changes in the environment are usually gradual, but now it is visible. There are impacts from the heat, and of course the lack of rainfall.The age of the trees naturally makes the situation more serious.”

Amidst record-breaking heat last year, with Japan experiencing its hottest year since records began, concerns over the well-being of these iconic trees have grown.

In response, Kirin began donating a portion of its profits to support cherry tree conservation, seeing this as a way to give back to the communities that celebrate the “hanami” tradition—flower-viewing parties where beer, particularly, is a popular drink.

Cherry blossoms hold deep symbolic meaning in Japanese culture, representing the fragility of life.

Their blooms, which last only about a week before petals begin to fall, mark a time of transition.

The sakura season also coincides with the start of the new business year, as university graduates embark on their first jobs, and many professionals transition to new roles, further emphasizing the theme of change.