Re: "Assuming a late season in Taiwan means a late start in Japan? Does it even reach all the way up north where you are Dan?"

No, but we get all sorts of weird weather, and June this year was cooler and wetter than is normal, so in that sense we have experienced an extended spring in northern Japan. I'm in the US Midwest now, and they have also had a wetter and cooler than normal June.

EDIT: Back to Japan soon.