Isn`t it possible that the Japanese love for cherry blossoms over ume, momo or other beautiful spring blossom contenders is because of the high % of cherry blossom trees planted throughout the country compared with the other blossomers - i.e. if you want to see the most blossoms during a spring picnic in ueno, inokashira or asakusa parks then timing it for the cherry blossom opening will give you the most bang for your buck, especially if time and space are limited?