Climate reconstruction of spring temperature in Yedo (Tokyo) using cherry blossom phenological data acquired from old documents

Abstract

The March mean temperature series in Yedo (Tokyo) was reconstructed, applying cherry blossom phenological data deduced from many old documents. Full blossoming dates of Prunus jamasakura in 207 years, scattered over the period from 1636 to 1905 A.D., enable us to clarify March temperature change since mid-17th century. Temperature reconstructions were compared with those in Kyoto. The temperature estimates in both cities showed two cold periods in the late-17th century and in the early-19th century, coincided with the Maunder and Dalton solar minima, respectively. Reconstructions in Yedo in the Maunder and Dalton minima were about 4 and 5 °C, respectively.