Cherry blossom in Japan 🍒🍒🍒

Japan's cherry blossom season famously begins in April and lasts for around two weeks. The best places to see the blush-tinted blooms are in Maruyama Park, Mount Yishino, Himeji Castle and Fuji Five Lakes. Here's our expert guide...


When is the best time to see cherry blossom in Japan?
Every year is different when it comes to the sakura (cherry trees). As springtime begins, the country waits patiently for the first flushes of pink. Usually, the blooms burst into colour between March and early April. But, if you can’t make peak bloom, don’t fret. An alternative is February, when the equally beautiful but lesser-known plum blossoms are on show.  Keep an eye on this handy cherry blossom forecast to track when 2021 blooming is expected to start.
The earliest sakura appears in tropical Okinawa in January, the last on the northernmost island of Hokkaido in early May. What’s more, there are multiple tree varieties, each blooming at a slightly different time. Early Kawuzu blooms appears from the start of February and last until early March, mostly along the Kawzu River on the Izu Peninsula, southwest of Tokyo. Lake-blooming Omuro cherries appear early to mid-April. For peak pink in the main tourist hot spots, including Tokyo, visit between the end of March and early April, when the ubiquitous Yoshino flowers arrive. They last about a week before falling quickly – see the latest forecast at sakura.weathermap.jp/en.

When did the cherry blossom appear every year.

Tokyo – March 10 - 19
Kochi – March 19 - 25
Nagoya – March 22 - 29
Hiroshima – March 22 -29
Kyoto – March 23 - 28
Osaka – March 25 - 30
Kagoshima – March 25 - 30
Sendai – March 25 - 30
 
Where is the best place to see the cherry blossoms in Japan?

You’ll find sakura hotspots in over 1,000 locations across the country so picking the best can prove tricky.

1. Yoshino
Come sakura season and this is probably Japan’s most famous cherry-bloom destination, where a carpet of blushing blooms cascade the mountainsides. 

2. Maruyama Park
The star of its show is a huge tree, whose blossom-fringed branches bow towards the ground. It’s illuminated in the evening from dusk until midnight, which is well worth sticking around for. Mount Yishino is a worthy pilgrimage, covered in over 30,000 cherry trees.

3. Himeji Castle
Head here during full bloom for its striking white wooden walls that provide the perfect backdrop for the 1,000 cherry trees bursting into life around it. 

4. Fuji Five Lakes
These stunning lakes come with the backdrop of Mount Fuji. For a more relaxing experience, visit the volcanic island of Honshu and loll in bubbling hot spring style with silky petals swirling all around.

5. Hirosaki Castle 
Possibly the prettiest spot for cherry blossom viewing, this ancient three-story castle is surrounded by a fortified moat and a huge tree-lined park that hosts illuminations in the evenings. 

6. Ueno Park 
Japan’s cutting-edge, cosmopolitan capital isn’t all sleek high-risers and robot bars. It’s brimming with pretty parks, immaculate gardens and riverside promenades – many of which become home to cherry blossom festivals. One of the most popular spots in the city, and one where trees tend to bloom, is Ueno Park, home to over 1,000 cherry blossom trees, as well as plenty of museums, shrines and ponds. A 4km stretch is illuminated from 5pm to 9pm (from about March 23 to April 10). Graze as you go, on noodles and sticky rice balls from food stalls. 

7. Maruyama Park
If Tokyo’s the epitome of modern; Kyoto’s the essence of tradition. Ancient teahouses rub shoulders with elaborate temples, while geisha scurry between the two on route to secret liaisons. Try Maruyama Park, where the main event is a tall shidarezakura weeping cherry tree illuminated at night, or the Philsopher’s Path – a canal path lined with hundreds of cherry trees.

8. Laki Ashi 
While the coastal city of Kamakura is known for its sandy beaches in summer, spring offers plenty of backdrops for your cherry blossom snaps – from huge bronze Buddha’s basking in the sun to the iconic Mount Fuji making an appearance as you sail along the tranquil waters of Lake Ashi. 

9. Matsumae Park 
Matsumae Park quietly shelters historical carvings in a clutch of temples: the swaying of cherry blossom ensuring the serenity of the Buddhist artefacts. Two hundred and fifty varieties of blossom stretch long into the season, their wooden name tags claiming their time in the spotlight, joined by the castle prettily illuminated as dusk descends.

10. Lake Kawaguchi (also known as Kawaguchi-ko)
The hot spring resort town of Lake Kawaguchi is the second largest of Fuji’s five lakes. Arrive early morning to gaze up through the mist at majestic Mount Fuji framed through the rose coloured spectacle of the glorious blossoms, fluttering gently along the northern shores of the lapping lake.

11. Arashiyama
Ride the Sagano Romantic Train (£4 for one way) through  a tunnel of sakura in Arashiyama. 

12. Yamashina 
Want to beat the crowds? In Kyoto, make for Yamashina, in the southeast of the city – you’ll find nearly 700 trees lining the canals, yet far fewer tourists. 

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