From Hokkaido the northernmost prefecture to Okinawa the southernmost prefecture in Japan, there are many great spots to see cherry blossoms. Here is the list of beautiful hanami spots throughout Japan!

You might think there are not many nature spots, thus less sakura viewing spots in big cities like Tokyo, but that is wrong. If you want to see as many cherry blossom spots but want to stay in Tokyo, it is worth checking these top 5 best cherry blossom locations in Tokyo.

These spots we mentioned above are especially popular in Tokyo. If you are looking for somewhere less crowded, read this article for more hidden cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more travel inspiration.

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Awesome content. Really liked it. I would be thrilled to see a video on this if possible like the one here. Table of contents When is the cherry blossom season? What are Hanami parties?

Where is the best place to see cherry blossoms? Sakura viewing in Tokyo Hidden cherry blossom viewing spots Spring destinations in Japan. Spring is a great time to visit Japan and enjoy the rich abundance of nature.

The sakura bloom took place mostly with foreign tourists, who were locked out of Japan by Covid-related travel restrictions. The devil is in the details when it comes to seeing cherry blossoms. The cherry blossom season was the earliest in more than 1, years, with blossoms in most of the country having fully progressed through their bloom before the first week of April.

But what about the cherry blossom Japan forecast? As far as when you should start planning for cherry blossom Japan ? This is true whether you spend one month in Japan and enjoy Japan cherry blossom all over the country, or stay a week or two and enjoy a more limited array of festivities. In either case, I suggest you wait until as late as possible to hammer down the specific details of your Japan cherry blossom itinerary.

In late , I speculated that if one or more of the vaccines then awaiting approval in the US achieved mass distribution i. Things progressed nicely on the vaccine front, but with a resurgence of infections in Japan and renewed skepticism about the Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese border failed to open in time for the bloom.

If you are too, I would encourage you to start planning your cherry blossom trip now. There is no travel experience in the world like the Kyoto cherry blossoms. Just wake up early if you can to enjoy the beauty in relative solitude! The bad news? The Fuji Five Lakes region around Mt. Fuji is absolutely swamped during cherry blossom season, particularly the Chureito Pagoda pictured above. This was true even in , when all the foreigners in the world besides me and a few others lucky enough to reside in Japan were locked out.

The good news? This is not the only irony surrounding the mountain. There are other places, such as Yamashita Park and Kamonyama Park, where you can wander around aimlessly taking endless photos of these beautiful flowers without the distraction of thousands of people to duck and dive. Thinking about accommodation in Yokohama?

Read reviews and compare prices for accommodation in Yokohama here. Boasting seaside towns in the south and alpine scenery, mountainous tracks and a more rural atmosphere in the north makes it a perfect off-the-beaten path destination to view cherry blossoms in the country.

Generally speaking, the best time to visit the Chubu region for cherry blossoms is early March to mid-April. Contributed by: Nicole, Travelgal Nicole Kawazu is one of the best places to see the cherry blossoms in spring. Kawazu is one of the first places in Japan to see the cherry blossoms. The cherry trees have a unique blossoming time that is different than other cherry trees found around Japan.

After living in Japan, Kawazu is my favourite place to see the cherry blossoms. The blossoms are extra large and a very deep shad of pink in Kawazu. There are cherry trees throughout the city but one of the best places to see them is along the river. The cherry trees follow the river for four kilometres and lead to the Seven Waterfalls of Kawazu which is another site to see in Kawazu. The Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival attracts over two million visitors a year.

The cherry trees here are known as Kawazuzakura whereas others are known as sakura. Kawazu Cherry trees blossom for longer so you have an extra month to see them. Kawazu is located four hours south of Tokyo or a two and a half hour train ride in the Izu Peninsula.

Thinking about accommodation in Kawazu? Read reviews and compare prices for accommodation in Kawazu here. Contributed by: Jennifer P. The trip to Matsumoto from Tokyo takes less than 3 hours by high-speed train. In particular, Matsumoto Castle is simply magical. The six-storey keep dates back to the 16th century and is listed as a National Treasure of Japan. There is nothing better than the views from Matsumoto Castle when the cherry blossoms are at peak bloom.

Climb steep flights of stairs at Matsumoto Castle and delight in amazing views of Matsumoto City and the surrounding countryside awash in delicate white and pink flowers. Observe how the view changes at each different level as you peek out the open windows which offer up vistas in all four directions.

Spotlights on the cherry trees and the castle add a touch of romance and glamour. TIP: Just make sure to bring a jacket. The temperature plummets in Matsumoto in April after the sun sets. Thinking about accommodation in Matsumoto? I personally loved my stay at the amazing Matsumoto Hotel Kagestu! Read reviews and compare prices for all accommodation in Matsumoto here.

The Kansai region is an insanely popular place to see cherry blossoms in Japan. And with good reason! Huge drawcards cities such as Kyoto, Osaka Castle, Nara, and Himeji offer countless spots for hanami blossom viewing with iconic temples, shrines and castles as a backdrop.

Generally speaking, the best time to see cherry blossoms in the Kansai region ranges from late March to mid-April, and on occasion late-April depending on the altitude of the spot. Kyoto has dozens upon dozens of incredible places to view cherry blossoms!

We visited on 31st March and while some cherry trees were in full bloom, the area would have been at its best a week later. We started at Takenaka Inari Shrine where a row of red torii gates are framed with white cherry blossoms—such a classic Japanese image. On the other side of the hill is Yoshida-jinja, a peaceful shrine surrounded by forest with a cherry tree next to the large entrance torii gate. Shinnyodo Temple is a minute walk away and is even better for sakura viewing.

The large temple complex features a huge wooden hondo main hall , a pond, and many cherry trees throughout. The cherry blossoms were just starting to bloom in other places such as Arashiyama and Kiyomizu-Dera Temple. However, it was also the perfect time to see the cherry blossoms in Sannenzaka Slope. It was in full bloom when we visited and it is also just a walking distance from the Kiyomizu-Dera Temple.

Sannenzaka Slope is also one of the top cherry blossom spots in Kyoto so expect a lot of crowds especially during peak hours. Sannenzaka slope is one of my favourite cherry blossom spots in Kyoto. The slopes are also lined with shops selling some traditional sweets and handicrafts. If you are visiting Kyoto during the cherry blossom season, I highly recommend stopping by Sannenzaka Slope. It is a must-visit cherry blossom spot in Kyoto. TIP: If you want to avoid the crowds, my tip is to come early in the morning, around 6am.

Located close to the centre of Kyoto, this short walk along the sakura lined canal is totally unmissable. When visiting Kyoto in Spring, many of the beautiful cherry blossom viewing spots can get very busy. Stand on the small bridges to fully appreciate the full length of the walk, fully encapsulated by the stunning sakura.

At this time, the blossom still provides the stunning pastel colours in the trees, whilst the falling of the snowflake like petals creates an even more magical atmosphere. Contributed by: Smita, Smita Bhattacharya To me personally, the last stage of the cherry blossoms is the most poetic, when the flowers turn white and shed slowly, falling gently to the ground, carried by the wind. Its garden houses a central pond, surrounded by manicured bushes, impressive rock formations, pine trees and the lush Arashiyama Mountains.

In spring, the weeping cherry trees almost touch the ground, laden with stunning pink blossoms. With the temple in the background, they look even more majestic than they are already.

Thinking about accommodation in Kyoto? I loved my stay at Kyoto Hana Hotel, in the heart of Gion! Read more in my complete 4 Days in Kyoto Itinerary , or Read reviews and compare prices for all accommodation in Kyoto here. As mentioned earlier, there are many great spots to view cherry blossoms around the Kansai region, such as Nara, Osaka and Koyasan!

Contributed by: Alexander, Destinavo Osaka Castle is one of the best places to take part in the annual Hanami and view the cherry blossoms in Osaka. The castle park has more than varieties of cherry trees planted within its premises. Strolling around the park will allow you to see many different types of cherry blossom, and they are all lovely when in full bloom.

From there you can get a nice overlook of the park with all the cherry trees, which is quite spectacular to see from above. Nearby, you also have the Osaka Mint Bureau, which is another popular place to view the cherry blossom in Osaka with more than different varieties and lots of cherry trees.

The cherry blossom season starts around 21 March in Osaka, and enter full bloom around 1 April, which is also when I visited the city for Cherry blossom. I arrived a few days before 1 April and got to experience the city in full bloom.

Thinking about accommodation in Osaka? This was the beginning of one of the most sacred places on Earth — the heart of Shingon Buddhism. Nowadays there are many temples here that attract plenty of tourists, not only because they are beautiful pieces of art, but also because monks still inhabit them.

One can even sleep in the traditional rooms in the temples themselves and take part in the morning prayers. Welcome to Koyasan! When we got on the cable car for our last leg of travels to Koyasan, we noticed hundreds of cherry trees in blossom.

Unfortunately, we were a bit late — at the end of April, so half of the trees had passed the blossom.

And still, so many different colors of blossom, the magical aroma, the peaceful atmosphere — the place quickly became our favorite to view the sakura. TIP: We highly recommend Koyasan for enjoying cherry tree blossoms — it has fresh mountain air, beautiful temples, and many hikes.

Thinking about accommodation in Koyasan? Read reviews and compare prices for all accommodation in Koyasan here. It was something we had been dreaming about for years. It was tough to decide when to visit, but ultimately we chose cherry blossom season for its beauty. Unfortunately, even though we arrived in Tokyo at peak blossom time, we were met with five days of straight rain. We headed to Kyoto hoping for better weather and were greeted by the sun on our visit to Nara.

We got lucky with the cherry blossoms again, which were out in full force.