Cherry Blossom Japan: Best places for blossom viewing in Japan Meteorological Corporation has already begun its yearly predictions for the cherry blossom season, one of the country’s most exciting times. Japan’s cherry blossom season is so important that it makes the news across the country, has festivals in its name, and turns parks and gardens into pilgrimage sites for Hanami (flower viewing), where families and friends gather under the trees for picnics and saké. Where you are in Japan can make a huge difference in the season. If you’re planning a trip, here are the best places and times to see the Sakura in 2025.
Cherry blossom expected full-blooming dates in Japan
On February 6, 2025, the Japan Meteorological Corporation issued its third forecast. Cherry blossom Japan peaks are now projected to fall on the following dates:
- Yoshino, Nara prefecture April 8
- Himeji Castle, Hyogo prefecture April 8
- Hirosaki Castle, Aomori Prefecture April 25
- Tokyo April 1
- Kyoto April 6
- Matsumae Park, Hokkaido prefecture May 8
- Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto prefecture April 3
- Miharu, Fukushima prefecture April 22
- Fuji Five Lakes, Yamanashi prefecture April 18
In what month is cherry blossom season in Japan?
Every year is unique, and nationwide differences abound. More importantly, there are several kinds of cherry blossoms, each flowering at a somewhat different time and lasting for a different period (most for around two weeks). The first blossoms usually show up in tropical Okinawa in January, while the final on Hokkaido, the northernmost island, show up in early May. The end of March to early April is a fair bet for maximum pink in the big tourist destinations.
The Cherry Blossom Festivals start when?
Usually scheduled between mid-January and early February, the Motobu Yaedake Cherry Blossom Japan Festival in Okinawa marks the first celebration to coincide with the country’s first blossoms. Most holidays fall between March and May. Although exact timing is difficult to forecast, a decent approach is to learn when they have happened in the prior five years and choose an average date from them. Along with picnics and barbecues, you might discover live music, food, and artisan booths under the trees whenever they occur. Tea ceremonies also abound under the trees.
Exactly what is Hanami all about?
Equipped with picnic hampers and blankets, Hanami is a massive social gathering under the trees for families, friends, and colleagues to eat, drink, and be happy. Popular locations will include booths offering drinkable treats for purchase. Viewing cherry blossoms in the evening is known as yozakura, with basic lights and lanterns strung onto the branches to give the flowers an illusion of glowing in the dark.
The occasion gets noisier as the saké falls and the moon rises. Visitors are kindly allowed to participate in the festivities. Bring a picnic blanket and swing by a retailer to pick up a bento box—pancake meatballs, Inari sushi, strawberries, red bean mochi—along with some limited-edition, hanami-themed treats, including pink Sakura Pepsi, pink KitKats, and clear Asahi beer.
In Japan, where is the best spot to see cherry blossoms?
Sakura can be found all over the country, so it won’t be hard to find a place to do the tradition of Hanami.
Yoshino, Nara prefecture
This is the most well-known place in Japan to see cherry blossoms. More than 30,000 Sakura trees cover the Kii Mountains all around the town. The blooming season usually starts in late March. On Mount Yoshino, there is a huge cherry tree with branches that bend down towards the ground. It is the star of the show. From dusk until midnight, it’s lit up.
It is expected to bloom fully in 2025 on April 8
Himeji Castle, Hyogo Prefecture
Built in the 14th century and renovated in the 17th, Himeji Castle’s white walls create a stunning backdrop for the 1,000 cherry trees blossoming around it. In most years, the first buds show up in late March.
It is expected to bloom fully in 2025 (April 8)
Hirosaki Castle, Aomori Prefecture
Surrounded by a fortified moat and a large tree-lined park with evening illumination, this ancient three-story castle is among the most beautiful places in the nation for viewing cherry blossoms. Here, two cherry tree types mean blossoms can peak at various times. Try to visit late in April.
It is expected to bloom fully in 2025 on April 25
Tokyo
Tokyo Holidays is not short on cherry blossom Japan availability. Comprising more than 1,000 cherry trees along with museums, shrines, and ponds, Ueno Park is among the most well-liked (and crowded) areas. A two-and-a-half-mile section is lit for a few hours in the night throughout the two-week season from late March.
See the English garden in Shinjuku Gyoen, with rolling grass ideal for picnicking, or meander along the banks of the Nakameguro canals for a less crowded experience. Along the Chidorigafuchi Moat, see the amazing flowering next to the Imperial Palace.
It is expected to bloom fully in 2025 on April 1
Kyoto
The historic capital of Japan is the heart of the Sakura season, with blossom showing from the end of March to early April. Try Maruyama Park, where the main feature is a tall shidarezakura (“weeping cherry tree”) lit at night; the Philosopher’s route, a canal route lined with hundreds of cherry trees; or the tree-lined Kamo River promenade.
Want to outshine the throngs? Make for Yamashina, southeast of Kyoto Holidays, where you will discover about 700 trees bordering the canals and far fewer visitors. Riding the (seasonal) Sagano scenic railway, which goes through a Sakura tunnel, is a rather unusual way to enjoy the cherry blossoms in Arashiyama district.
It is expected to bloom fully in 2025 on April 6
Matsumae Park, Hokkaido prefecture
Matsumae Park is a great place for the blooming season. It features the northernmost castle in Japan. From roughly late April, the 10,000 trees with cherry blossoms span 250 varieties long into the season. In the evening, when the castle is lit, it is magnificent.
It is expected to bloom fully in 2025 on May 8
Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto prefecture
Kyushu, one of Japan’s most southerly islands, is a great spot for a less crowded and genuine hanami fix. The grounds of medieval Kumamoto Castle, where hundreds of trees slope up to its hilltop gates and bloom in mid-March, provide the most amazing backdrop.
It is expected to bloom fully on April 3, 2025
Miharu, Fukushima prefecture
Go to Miharu, almost two hours north of the capital, by train to stray from the path and ahead of the group. The city’s peach, plum, and cherry trees all blossom concurrently (Miharu means “Three Springs”), and it’s the home of the remarkable 1,000-year-old Takizakura, the “waterfall cherry tree.” Sensational displays till the end of April.
It is expected to bloom fully on April 22, 2025
Fuji Five Lakes, Yamanashi Prefecture
A lovely site for Hanami, these remarkable lakes create an arc around Mount Fuji’s base. Visiting an onsen and seeing the blossoms while lolling in the warm waters is a common approach to enjoying the season. Choose the resort town of Lake Kawaguchi; arrive early in the morning to view Mount Fuji, framed by magnificent blooms up through the mist. Usually, early April is a nice visit date.
It is expected to bloom fully on April 18, 2025
When should one plan a holiday to view the cherry blossoms?
Sakura season in Japan demands expensive rates. Book roughly 11 months ahead, about as soon as flights go on sale, for the greatest deals. Independent travel across Japan is rather simple at other times of the year, but cherry blossoms Japan season is an exception; hotel rooms might be limited, and costs climb sharply; therefore, reserving these at least ten months in advance is best. If you are keen on seeing Kyoto, a significant center for cherry blossom viewing, think about day-tripping from Osaka: high-speed bullet trains from Shin-Osaka station reach Kyoto in less than 15 minutes, and there are many less-expensive lodging choices.
Why is the season of cherry blossoms so significant for Japan?
From the Heian era (794–1185), Sakura has been the object of great national love. The brief, mysterious arrival of the blossoms is perceived as a reflection of life, death, renewal, and the fleeting character of existence rather than only an opportunity to enjoy some beautiful petals. Celebrated throughout Japanese literature, poetry, and art, Sakura is etched onto the samurai swords and used as the emblem of dead troops, fresh starts, and camaraderie.
Which flicks and literature will set me in the right frame?
Often regarded as the first book, The Tale of Genji from the 11th century describes a legendary royal cherry blossom Japan celebration with poetry reading and dancing. With a copy of Matsuo Basho, one of Japan’s most well-known poets and writers, submerge yourself in the works with an eye towards the environment. Just as the cherry blossom season got underway, consider the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, in which survivors of the 2011 tsunami were interviewed soon after the destruction as they started reconstructing their lives.
Exist alternatives for the main cherry blossom festival celebrated in Japan?
Plum blossoms, sometimes known as me, burst in February and March and are the first significant flowers to bloom in the spring. See the Mito Plum Blossom Festival in Ibaraki prefecture for open-air tea ceremonies and mountains covered in candy-floss blossoms. A fast train will arrive just over an hour from Tokyo Ueno station.
Often constructed as tunnels, wisteria cascades bookend the opposite side of the cherry blossom season. About 50 miles north of Tokyo, visit Ashikaga Flower Park for the Great Wisteria Festival, which runs from mid-April until sometime in May; early May will have a complete purple haze.
