AI Tool Helps Preserve Japan’s Aging Cherry Trees
News Desk
Islamabad: Japan’s beloved cherry trees are aging, but a new AI tool designed to analyze photos of the delicate pink and white blossoms could help preserve them for future generations.
The cherry blossom season, known as “sakura,” is eagerly awaited by both locals and visitors, as the vibrant flowers signal the arrival of spring. However, many of these trees are reaching 70 to 80 years of age, well beyond their prime blooming period, leading to higher costs for maintenance and care at popular cherry blossom spots.
To assist in identifying trees that may be in poor condition, brewing company Kirin has developed a tool called Sakura AI Camera. This tool allows users to upload photos taken with their smartphones to a website, which then assesses the condition and age of the trees.
The tool uses a five-point scale—currently only available in Japanese—ranging from “very healthy” to “worrying.” Trees with abundant, healthy blooms extending to the tips of their branches receive the highest rating.
Trained with 5,000 images of cherry trees and developed with expert guidance, the AI tool maps out the condition and location of trees uploaded by users.
Risa Shioda from Kirin, who spoke to AFP, explained that they wanted to contribute to preserving the sakura trees by making it easier to plan conservation efforts. She noted that gathering information about the trees had previously required significant manpower and financial resources.
Since its launch last month, the platform has collected around 20,000 photos, with the data available for free to local authorities.
In places like Tokyo’s Meguro Ward, known for its riverside cherry trees, replacing a tree can cost up to one million yen (about $6,800).
Hiroyuki Wada, from the Japan Tree Doctors Association, who inspects cherry trees in major Tokyo locations, supervised the AI tool’s development. He hopes it will help experts understand the environmental factors contributing to the trees’ decline, partly due to climate change.
He expressed concerns over the visible impacts of climate change, noting the increasing heat and reduced rainfall. The trees’ age also exacerbates the issue.
Japan’s weather agency reported that last year was the hottest on record, a trend observed globally.
Kirin has also started donating a portion of its profits to support cherry tree conservation, as part of its efforts to “give back” to the communities that enjoy these trees.
During the “hanami” season, which involves flower-viewing parties under the cherry trees, alcohol—especially beer—is a popular drink. Cherry blossoms hold significant cultural meaning in Japan, symbolizing the fleeting nature of life as the flowers bloom for only about a week before the petals fall.
This season is also associated with new beginnings, as it marks the start of the business year, with many university graduates embarking on their first full-time jobs and older workers transitioning to new positions.
