Kyoto: Just Opened

Today I visited three popular cherry blossom spots in Kyoto to check on the state of the cherry blossoms. The start (kaika) of the mainstream cherry blossom season in Kyoto was officially announced on March 23, 2026, when the first few blossoms opened. Two days on, many of the blossoms are still in bud form, but with great potential to open over the next 1-3 days. Consequently, I expect the best viewing in Kyoto to start from around March 29 or 30, and the best viewing to last for about a week or so barring inclement weather.

For those interested in the cherry blossom situation in cities apart from Kyoto, the estimated best viewing information for other major cities can be found on our cherry blossom forecast page. Follow along here to keep up with the latest updates as we bring almost daily on-site sakura reports from various cities.

My day started cloudy and early in Arashiyama. The main cherry tree spots are near the Hankyu Arashiyama Station, along the river near Togetsukyo Bridge and along the main road in front of the Keifuku Randen Arashiyama Station. Of the three spots, the cherry trees near Keifuku Randen Arashiyama Station had the most open blossoms while the other two spots had few open blossoms. I expect more blossoms to open over the next 2-3 days, and the best viewing to start from around March 29-30, 2026. The first few days of April should be perfect for those who want to see the cherry trees at full bloom.

My next spot was the Keage Incline, a popular cherry blossom viewing spot in Kyoto. The well-visited site had few visitors today due to the few open blossoms, but I expect the crowds to return from this coming weekend when more blossoms are expected to open. Similar to Arashiyama, I expect the best viewing at Keage Incline to start from around March 29-30, 2026, and for the blossoms to remain at their best for about a week or so following that barring inclement weather.

My final spot for today was another popular Kyoto cherry blossom viewing spot, Maruyama Park, not far from Gion. The mainstream Somei Yoshino cherry trees had few open blossoms, but like Arashiyama and Keage Incline, it should take about 4-5 more days before the cherry trees here reach their best viewing. Maruyama Park is also home to weeping cherry trees, whose flowers open before the mainstream cherry blossoms. The weeping cherry trees were already at their best viewing during my visit and should remain attractive through the coming weekend. Until April 1, Maruyama Park is illuminated in the evenings from 18:00 to 22:00, while the weeping cherry trees in the middle of the park are illuminated until April 8.