While Japan may still be in the chilly throes of winter, the end of the New Year holiday has pretty much given us permission to start looking forward to the more agreeable weather of the next season.

The ultimate symbol of spring in Japan is of course cherry blossom, and Coca-Cola, along with countless other companies, continue to capitalise on the nation’s obsession, by releasing their yearly limited edition sakura themed coke bottles.

In recent years, Coca-Cola have made the switch to 250 ml aluminium bottles for the limited editions, allowing them to use the whole bottle for the design, rather than being restricted to just the label. This has resulted in even slicker looking designs for their celebratory seasonal offerings.

They debuted these gorgeous cherry blossom designs in 2017 and have continued releasing them each year to a favourable reception.

The 2017 version utilised a fresh white background with small pink flowers concentrated around the logo.

In 2018 we were treated to a gentle pink background and large blossom motifs.

Last year’s release saw some added purple hues, with delicate flowers and petals fluttering.

For 2020, Coca-Cola have brought back the delicate falling petals, while returning to a more classic colour scheme of pale pink and white. A deeper red tone is only used for the inner part of the fully-bloomed flowers, and the Coca-Cola logo in the centre.

The perfect treat for hanami (cherry blossom viewing parties), these botanically-adorned beverages will be available for a limited time from 20th January, and can be picked up in supermarkets, convenience stores and souvenir shops all over Japan.