Nara: Approaching Full Bloom

Today I visited Nara to check on the state of the blossoms in the ancient capital, specifically in Nara Park. The mainstream Somei Yoshino cherry trees were at their best viewing, and I expect the blossoms to remain attractive for another week or so barring inclement weather. There is rain forecast next Tuesday, but that should not affect the blossoms too negatively.

For those interested in the cherry blossom situation in cities apart from Nara, 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.

In addition to Nara Park, I also visited Mount Wakakusayama, a 350 meter tall mountain behind the park. I found the cherry trees at the base of the mountain to be approaching full bloom, but the ones at the top looked like they still needed a few more days to reach to their best.

I rounded up my visit to Nara with a quick stop at Ukimido Pavilion south of the Nara National Museum. The cherry trees there were also at their best viewing. Visitors can rent boats to row in the pond, where the pavilion is located, and get close to some cherry trees along the water.