In Japan, the arrival of spring is celebrated with cherry blossoms blooming across the country. The most common variety is the Yoshino cherry (Somei Yoshino), which reaches full bloom from late March to early April. However, Japan is home to over 100 varieties of cherry trees, including wild species such as Yamazakura and Oshima Sakura. Each variety blooms at different times, with some early-blooming types appearing as early as January.
When and Where to See the Blooms
Springtime in Japan is a magical season, and the cherry blossoms, or sakura, are the stars of the show. The Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC) has released its annual cherry blossom forecast for 2025, predicting when and where these beautiful blooms will appear across the country. Here’s what you need to know to plan your perfect sakura viewing trip:
2025 Cherry Blossom Forecast
Fukuoka: The first blooms are expected around March 22, 2025.
Tokyo: Cherry blossoms will start to bloom on March 24, 2025, with full bloom expected by March 31, 2025.
Osaka and Kyoto: These cities will welcome sakura on March 27, 2025, with peak blooming predicted for April 3, 2025.
Yokohama: Flowering is expected around March 31, 2025, with full bloom by April 7, 2025.
Hokkaido (Sapporo): The final blooms of the season will appear around May 1, 2025, with full bloom expected by May 5, 2025.
Tips for Planning Your Trip
Check the Forecast: Monitor updates from the JMC, as weather conditions may affect bloom times.
Arrive Early: Popular spots can get crowded, so plan to arrive early to secure a good viewing spot.
Enjoy Hanami: Embrace the local culture by joining a hanami (flower viewing) party with friends or family. Bring a picnic blanket, delicious snacks, and beverages to enjoy under the cherry trees.
Where to see early blooming cherry blossoms in Japan?
While the Yoshino cherry is the most famous, there are many locations in Japan where you can see early-blooming cherry blossoms. Here are some popular spots, conveniently located near areas with a high number of international tourists. Note that some locations, such as the base of Tokyo Skytree, may feature just a single cherry tree.
Atami City:
Early January to Early February
Cherry blossoms can be found throughout the city. Along the coastline, you can spot mejiro (Japanese white-eye birds) fluttering among the blossoms.
Shinagawa, Tokyo (Ebara Shrine):
Mid-January to Early February
A large cherry tree blooms over the Ebisu statue, creating a picturesque scene.
Okinawa Prefecture:
Mid-January to Mid-February
The blooming of cherry blossoms in Okinawa serves as an indicator for meteorological observations.
Sumida, Tokyo (Base of Tokyo Skytree):
Early February to Early March
A single cherry tree stands near a bridge over the river. Photos of the Skytree framed by cherry blossoms are popular on social media.
Fushimi, Kyoto:
Mid-February to Late March
Cherry blossoms line the Yodo Suiro, with rest spots around Tenjin Bridge and the Shimotsucho Public Hall.
Along Sumida River, Tokyo:
Mid-February to Late March
Various cherry tree species are planted in parks along the Sumida River, near Sensoji Temple.
Matsuda, Kanagawa:
Mid-February to Early March
Located close to central Tokyo, Matsuda-Yama is ideal for a day trip. Visitors can enjoy the contrast of pink cherry blossoms and yellow rapeseed flowers blooming simultaneously.
Southern Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka:
Mid-February to Early March
The towns of Kawazu and Minami-Izu are renowned for their early-blooming cherry blossoms.
Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo:
Mid-February to Late April
Shinjuku Gyoen features a wide variety of cherry trees, allowing visitors to enjoy cherry blossoms over an extended period.
The Ultimate Guide to Cherry Blossom Viewing in Tokyo:Top Spots You Can't Miss
Discover the Magic of Sakura Season
When spring arrives in Tokyo, the city transforms into a breathtaking landscape of pink and white cherry blossoms. Known as “sakura,” these delicate flowers symbolize the fleeting beauty of life and have been celebrated in Japanese culture for centuries. If you’re planning a trip to Tokyo during the cherry blossom season, here’s your guide to the best spots for an unforgettable hanami (cherry blossom viewing) experience.
1. Ueno Park:
A Sakura Wonderland
One of Tokyo’s most popular spots for cherry blossom viewing, Ueno Park boasts over 1,000 sakura trees lining its pathways. The park comes alive with hanami parties, where locals and visitors gather to celebrate under the blossoms. With its picturesque setting, Ueno Park is a must-visit for any sakura enthusiast.
2. Shinjuku Gyoen:
Tranquil Beauty in the Heart of the City
Shinjuku Gyoen offers a serene escape from the bustling city, featuring a mix of traditional Japanese, English, and French garden styles. With over 1,500 cherry trees, this park provides a peaceful and picturesque setting for hanami. Don’t miss the iconic weeping cherry trees, which add an extra touch of elegance to the scenery.
3. Chidorigafuchi:
A Blossoming Moat
For a unique experience, head to Chidorigafuchi and rent a boat to row along the moat, surrounded by blooming cherry trees. The view of sakura petals gently falling into the water creates a dreamy and romantic atmosphere. It’s a perfect spot for couples and photography enthusiasts.
4. Sumida Park:
Cherry Blossoms Along the River
Located near the iconic Tokyo Skytree, Sumida Park stretches along the Sumida River, offering stunning views of cherry blossoms against the backdrop of the city’s skyline. The park is home to over 1,000 cherry trees. Sumida Park is located near Sensoji Temple.
5. Inokashira Park:
Nature's Hidden Gem
Just a short train ride from central Tokyo, Inokashira Park in Kichijoji is a hidden gem for cherry blossom viewing. The park features a picturesque pond, lush greenery, and charming cafes. It’s an ideal spot for a leisurely stroll, a picnic, or even a swan boat ride under the sakura canopy.
6. Meguro River:
Riverside Sakura Rows
Meguro River is famous for its cherry trees lining the riverbanks. In spring, the cherry blossoms create a stunning reflection on the water, offering an enchanting view. The area is especially beautiful at night when the sakura trees are illuminated, creating a magical and romantic atmosphere. It’s a great spot for taking beautiful photos.
7. Rikugien Garden:
Classical Garden Beauty
Rikugien Garden, a historic garden built in the Edo period, offers a beautiful blend of classical landscaping and cherry blossoms. The garden’s weeping cherry trees provide a spectacular contrast against the traditional garden setting. It’s perfect for those looking to enjoy a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
8. Ikegami Honmonji:
Historic Temple and Sakura
Ikegami Honmonji, a historic temple, is known for its beautiful cherry blossoms on its grounds. The combination of the majestic temple and the sakura creates a calming and picturesque setting. It’s an ideal spot for those who wish to enjoy both historical architecture and natural beauty.
Tips for an Unforgettable Hanami Experience
Timing is Key: Cherry blossoms bloom for a short period, typically from late March to early April. Check the sakura forecast to plan your visit.
Arrive Early: Popular spots can get crowded, so arrive early to secure a good viewing spot.
Join a Hanami Party: Embrace the local culture by joining a hanami party with friends or family. Bring a picnic blanket, delicious snacks, and beverages to enjoy under the cherry trees.
The Japan Meteorological Agency observes and announces cherry blossom blooming dates annually. Here are the blooming dates from 2021 to 2024, along with the average blooming dates. Note that it typically takes about five days for blossoms to reach full bloom after the first bloom. Except for Hokkaido and Okinawa, the dates listed refer to the Yoshino cherry.
In regions from Kyushu to Tokyo, cherry blossoms generally begin blooming in mid-March. In northern regions such as Tohoku and Hokkaido, the blooming period gradually shifts from early April to early May as you move northward.
Best time to see cherry blossoms in Japan
Below are the average blooming dates and recent data from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
| Region | Prefecture | City | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | average | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Wakkanai | 8-May | 6-May | 3-May | 1-May | 13-May | Sargent's cherry |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Kushiro | 8-May | 8-May | 1-May | 3-May | 16-May | Sargent's cherry |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Abashiri | 6-May | 27-Apr | 28-Apr | 28-Apr | 10-May | Sargent's cherry |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Asahikawa | 29-Apr | 26-Apr | 25-Apr | 24-Apr | 4-May | Sargent's cherry |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Obihiro | 24-Apr | 22-Apr | 20-Apr | 23-Apr | 2-May | Sargent's cherry |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Sapporo | 22-Apr | 23-Apr | 15-Apr | 18-Apr | 1-May | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Muroran | 27-Apr | 25-Apr | 21-Apr | 26-Apr | 4-May | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Hokkaido | Hokkaido | Hakodate | 20-Apr | 21-Apr | 14-Apr | 18-Apr | 28-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Tohoku | Aomori | Aomori | 13-Apr | 16-Apr | 7-Apr | 15-Apr | 22-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Tohoku | Akita | Akita | 4-Apr | 12-Apr | 4-Apr | 10-Apr | 17-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Tohoku | Iwate | Morioka | 9-Apr | 14-Apr | 3-Apr | 12-Apr | 18-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Tohoku | Yamagata | Yamagata | 2-Apr | 11-Apr | 31-Mar | 7-Apr | 13-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Tohoku | Miyagi | Sendai | 28-Mar | 8-Apr | 26-Mar | 2-Apr | 8-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Tohoku | Fukushima | Fukushima | 25-Mar | 4-Apr | 24-Mar | 3-Apr | 7-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kanto | Gunma | Maebashi | 21-Mar | 27-Mar | 18-Mar | 31-Mar | 29-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kanto | Tochigi | Utsunomiya | 20-Mar | 27-Mar | 20-Mar | 31-Mar | 30-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kanto | Ibaraki | Mito | 20-Mar | 30-Mar | 20-Mar | 31-Mar | 30-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kanto | Saitama | Kumagaya | 19-Mar | 24-Mar | 17-Mar | 31-Mar | 27-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kanto | Yamanashi | Kofu | 18-Mar | 21-Mar | 17-Mar | 29-Mar | 25-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kanto | Chiba | Choshi | 22-Mar | 27-Mar | 22-Mar | 1-Apr | 30-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kanto | Tokyo | Tokyo | 14-Mar | 20-Mar | 14-Mar | 29-Mar | 24-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kanto | Kanagawa | Yokohama | 17-Mar | 21-Mar | 15-Mar | 1-Apr | 25-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Nigata | Nigata | 29-Mar | 8-Apr | 27-Mar | 6-Apr | 8-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Nagano | Nagano | 29-Mar | 9-Apr | 28-Mar | 8-Apr | 11-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Toyama | Toyama | 24-Mar | 1-Apr | 22-Mar | 2-Apr | 3-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Ishikawa | Kanazawa | 23-Mar | 30-Mar | 23-Mar | 1-Apr | 3-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Fukui | Fukui | 22-Mar | 31-Mar | 22-Mar | 1-Apr | 1-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Shizuoka | Shizuoka | 20-Mar | 21-Mar | 19-Mar | 30-Mar | 24-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Aichi | Nagoya | 17-Mar | 22-Mar | 17-Mar | 28-Mar | 24-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Gifu | Gifu | 16-Mar | 21-Mar | 16-Mar | 27-Mar | 25-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chubu | Mie | Tsu | 20-Mar | 26-Mar | 22-Mar | 30-Mar | 29-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kansai | Kyoto | Kyoto | 16-Mar | 24-Mar | 17-Mar | 29-Mar | 26-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kansai | Shiga | Hikone | 22-Mar | 31-Mar | 23-Mar | 2-Apr | 1-Apr | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kansai | Hyogo | Kobe | 24-Mar | 25-Mar | 24-Mar | 1-Apr | 27-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kansai | Osaka | Osaka | 19-Mar | 23-Mar | 19-Mar | 30-Mar | 27-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kansai | Wakayama | Wakayama | 18-Mar | 24-Mar | 20-Mar | 30-Mar | 24-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kansai | Nara | Nara | 21-Mar | 25-Mar | 20-Mar | 31-Mar | 28-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chugoku | Tottori | Tottori | 19-Mar | 27-Mar | 19-Mar | 29-Mar | 29-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chugoku | Shimane | Matsue | 14-Mar | 26-Mar | 20-Mar | 28-Mar | 29-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chugoku | Okayama | Okayama | 20-Mar | 26-Mar | 22-Mar | 30-Mar | 28-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chugoku | Hiroshima | Hiroshima | 11-Mar | 21-Mar | 19-Mar | 25-Mar | 25-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Chugoku | Yamaguchi | Shimonoseki | 16-Mar | 25-Mar | 22-Mar | 29-Mar | 26-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Shikoku | Ehime | Matsue | 15-Mar | 21-Mar | 18-Mar | 27-Mar | 24-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Shikoku | Kagawa | takamatsu | 15-Mar | 24-Mar | 22-Mar | 29-Mar | 27-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Shikoku | Kochi | Kochi | 15-Mar | 19-Mar | 17-Mar | 23-Mar | 22-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Shikoku | Tokushima | Tokushima | 25-Mar | 25-Mar | 23-Mar | 1-Apr | 28-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kyushu | Fukuoka | Fukuoka | 12-Mar | 17-Mar | 18-Mar | 27-Mar | 22-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kyushu | Saga | Saga | 17-Mar | 19-Mar | 22-Mar | 29-Mar | 24-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kyushu | Ohita | Ohita | 18-Mar | 23-Mar | 24-Mar | 30-Mar | 24-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kyushu | Nagasaki | Nagasaki | 14-Mar | 22-Mar | 21-Mar | 26-Mar | 23-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kyushu | Kumamoto | Kumamoto | 17-Mar | 20-Mar | 22-Mar | 26-Mar | 23-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kyushu | Kagoshima | Kagoshima | 17-Mar | 20-Mar | 24-Mar | 29-Mar | 26-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Kyushu | Miyazaki | Miyazaki | 16-Mar | 18-Mar | 19-Mar | 25-Mar | 23-Mar | Somei-Yoshino cherry |
| Okinawa | Okinawa | Naze | 25-Jan | 18-Jan | 20-Jan | 17-Jan | 20-Jan | Formosan cherry |
| Okinawa | Okinawa | Ishigaki-jima | 27-Jan | 27-Jan | 3-Feb | 22-Jan | 18-Jan | Formosan cherry |
| Okinawa | Okinawa | Miyako-jima | 16-Jan | 19-Jan | 15-Jan | 5-Jan | 17-Jan | Formosan cherry |
| Okinawa | Okinawa | Naha | 4-Jan | 11-Jan | 7-Jan | 13-Jan | 16-Jan | Formosan cherry |
| Okinawa | Okinawa | Minami-Daito-jima | - | 28-Jan | 7-Feb | 16-Jan | 20-Jan | Formosan cherry |
Final Thoughts: Plan Your Perfect Cherry Blossom Trip in Japan
Japan’s cherry blossom season is a breathtaking spectacle that attracts visitors from around the world. With the 2025 forecast now available, travelers can plan their trips to catch the sakura at peak bloom.
🌸 Key Points to Remember:
- The first cherry blossoms will bloom in Fukuoka (March 22, 2025), followed by major cities like Tokyo (March 24, 2025), Osaka (March 27, 2025), and Kyoto (March 27, 2025).
- Hokkaido will see the last blooms of the season around May 1, 2025.
- Early-blooming cherry blossoms can be enjoyed from January to March in places like Atami, Okinawa, and Kawazu.
- Top hanami spots in Tokyo include Ueno Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, Chidorigafuchi, and Meguro River.
✨ Tips for an Unforgettable Hanami Experience:
- Check the latest forecasts to catch peak bloom.
- Arrive early at popular locations to avoid crowds.
- Join a hanami picnic with food and drinks to fully enjoy the tradition.
- Visit different regions to experience both early and late blooming sakura.
Whether you’re admiring the blossoms in Tokyo’s parks or exploring hidden gems across Japan, the cherry blossom season offers an unforgettable experience. Plan ahead, follow the forecast, and get ready to witness one of Japan’s most beautiful natural events! 🌸✨
