2017 Cherry Blossom Forecast
2017 Cherry Blossom Reports
The cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and holds a very prominent position in Japanese culture. There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in Japan, most of which bloom for just a couple of days in spring. The seasonal spectacle is celebrated with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the trees.
Below is a list of some of Japan's most popular cherry blossom spots with the typical timing for best viewing in the average year and japan-guide.com ratings:
Ratings:
best of the best
best of Japan
outstanding
Tokyo
Shinjuku Gyoen•••
Shinjuku Gyoen features more than one thousand cherry trees of over a dozen
varieties, including numerous early and late blooming trees. There are spacious lawn areas, and the atmosphere is calm and peaceful. Thanks to the early and late blooming trees, Shinjuku Gyoen is a good hanami destination for those who miss the main season by a week or two. Alcoholic drinks are prohibited.
Ueno Park••
One of Japan's most crowded, noisy and popular spots for cherry blossom parties,
Ueno Park features more than 1000 trees along the street leading towards the National Museum and around Shinobazu Pond. Ueno Park's blossoms typically open 1-3 days ahead of the blossoms in other spots in the city.
Chidorigafuchi••
Hundreds of cherry trees decorate the moats of
former Edo Castle around Kitanomaru Park, creating one of Tokyo's most outstanding cherry blossom sights. Boats are available for rent, but picnics are not allowed. Trees are lit up in the evenings. Many food stands can be found at nearby
Yasukuni Shrine, where another thousand cherry trees are planted.
Sumida Park•
The park stretches for a few hundred meters along both sides of Sumida River with views of the
Tokyo Sky Tree. Some food stands are available. Cherry blossom viewing can also be enjoyed from boats that cruise the river. Trees are lit up in the evenings.
More cherry blossom spots in Tokyo...
Yokohama
Sankeien Garden•
Sankeien is a Japanese landscape
garden with a central pond, various historical buildings moved there from across the country, and several hundred cherry trees.
Mitsuike Park (Mitsuike Koen)•
Mitsuike Park is one of Japan's "100 best cherry blossom spots", the only found in the city of
Yokohama. Like its name suggests, Mitsuike Park features three ponds around which over a thousand cherry trees are planted.
More cherry blossom spots in Yokohama...
Kamakura
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Known as Dankazura, the final approach to
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is lined for almost 500 meters by hundreds of cherry trees. However, after undergoing renovation and planting of new trees recently, the approach has lost a lot of its former visual appeal. More cherry trees can be found planted around the ponds on the shrine grounds.
More cherry blossom spots in Kamakura...
Izu Peninsula
Kawazu•
The town of Kawazu on the
Izu Peninsula is one of the first places near
Tokyo to view cherry blossoms. The town's
cherry tree variety is usually in full bloom as early as late February and early March, drawing many spring-hungry tourists down the peninsula.
Fuji Five Lakes
Northern Shores of Kawaguchiko••
Trees along the northern shores of
Lake Kawaguchiko provide the magnificent sight of
Mount Fuji in combination with the lake and cherry blossoms. Two of the best spots are the lakeside promenade around the
Kawaguchiko Music Forest and the small Ubuyagasaki peninsula next to the Kawaguchiko Ohashi Bridge. Visit in the early mornings for best visibility and light conditions.
Chureito Pagoda••
The
Chureito Pagoda is a recently built pagoda in the hills of Fujiyoshida City across from
Mount Fuji attracts photographers around the year, but particularly so in mid April during the cherry blossom season when the pagoda seems to float in a sea of cherry blossoms. Light conditions are best in the early morning.
More cherry blossom spots around the Fuji Five Lakes...
Gunma Prefecture
Akagi Senbonzakura•
Akagi Senbonzakura is located about halfway up Mount Akagi to the north of central Maebashi. It features a two kilometer long road lined with over 1000 cherry trees that form a beautiful cherry blossom tunnel when in bloom.
Pink moss in the open fields beside the cherry trees also bloom at around the same time, combining with the cherry blossoms to provide breathtaking views of various hues of pink.
More cherry blossom spots in Gunma...
Nagano Prefecture
Matsumoto Castle••
Matsumoto Castle is one of the most beautiful of Japan's original
castles. There are about 300 cherry trees planted around the castle moats and inside the paid inner grounds of the castle.
More cherry blossom spots in Matsumoto...
Niigata Prefecture
Takada Castle•
Also known as Takada Park, the grounds of Takada Castle in Joetsu City feature around 4000 cherry trees around the castle's moats. The park's most prominent building is a large turret rather than a castle keep (a castle keep was never built).
Kanazawa
Kenrokuen••
It is not surprising that Japan's most celebrated
garden is also a fine cherry blossom spot. In addition to the many trees found inside
Kenrokuen, there are many trees surrounding the garden and nearby Ishikawa Gate, one of the gates of
Kanazawa Castle.
Nagoya
Yamazakigawa Riverside••
The Shikinomichi ("Path of Four Seasons") along
Nagoya's Yamazaki River is justifiably designated as one of Japan's 100 best cherry blossom spots. The river is lined by hundreds of cherry trees for nearly a kilometer.
Nagoya Castle•
Many somei yoshino trees, several weeping cherry trees and small numbers of less commonly seen cherry tree
varieties are planted around the pleasant park and along the moats of
Nagoya Castle.
More cherry blossom spots in Nagoya...
Hikone
Hikone Castle•
Hundreds of cherry trees are planted around the grounds and along the moats of Hikone Castle, creating impressive sights and providing a few nice spots for hanami picnics.
Kyoto
Maruyama Park••
Maruyama Park next to
Yasaka Shrine is Kyoto's most popular public park for cherry blossom parties. Its centerpiece is a large weeping cherry tree that gets lit up in the evenings. Many food stands and temporarily constructed restaurants with tables under the trees are available.
Arashiyama••
Arashiyama is a pleasant and busy district in the outskirts of Kyoto. Many cherry trees can be found around the Togetsukyo Bridge at the foot of Arashiyama mountains, especially in the riverside Nakanoshima Park.
Heian Shrine••
Large numbers of weeping cherry trees (yaebeni shidare) stand in the garden of
Heian Shrine, behind the shrine's main buildings, making it one of the best spots to see weeping cherry trees in Kyoto. The trees reach full bloom a few days after the other cherry trees, making it an ideal spot for visitors who miss the main season by a few days.
More cherry blossom spots in Kyoto...
Osaka
Kema Sakuranomiya Park•••
Nearly 5000 cherry trees line Okawa River for several kilometers. The seemingly endless rows of cherry trees can be viewed from a pleasant riverside promenade or from ships cruising the river. There are also lawn areas with a lot of space for picnics.
Osaka Castle••
Over 4000 cherry trees are planted on the spacious grounds of
Osaka Castle. A particularly nice place for a picnic is Nishinomaru Park in the castle's western citadel with wide lawns, views of the castle tower and light up in the evening.
Expo 70 Commemorative Park••
The former site of the 1970 World Exhibition in Osaka was turned into a large public park with over 5000 cherry trees along its paths and around its large lawn areas. There is light up in the evenings.
Osaka Mint Bureau••
More than 300 trees of over 100 varieties, mostly later blooming
yae-zakura trees can be viewed on the premises of the
Osaka Mint Bureau during one week in mid April, about one week after the end of the regular cherry blossom season.
More cherry blossom spots in Osaka...
Nara
Nara Park•
About 1700 cherry trees are planted across spacious
Nara Park, outnumbering the deer by around 500. One of the most pleasant
hanami spots in the park is a large lawn encircled by cherry trees, a short walk southeast of
Todaiji's main hall.
More cherry blossom spots in Nara...
Yoshino
Mount Yoshinoyama•••
Yoshinoyama (Mount Yoshino) has been Japan's most famous cherry blossom viewing spot for many centuries. The mountain is covered by approximately 30,000 cherry trees.
Himeji
Himeji Castle•••
The castle grounds of
Himeji Castle are decorated by hundreds of cherry trees that make one of Japan's best seasonal sights in combination with the castle keep. Admission to the outer castle grounds is free, but there is a fee for entering the inner grounds.
Okayama
Handayama Botanical Garden••
With its 1000 cherry trees, this botanical garden becomes a very attractive
hanami spot during the blooming season. Thanks to its location along a steep hillside, the garden features the sight of the cherry blossoms in combination with views over the city. There are lawned areas for picnics.
Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle•
Korakuen features about 300 cherry trees in an orchard and spread across the gardens, while the neighboring
castle grounds are decorated by another 200 trees. Additionally, there are countless cherry tress along the river that flows northeast around Korakuen along what is known as the "Asahi River Cherry Road" (Asahigawa Sakura Michi).
More cherry blossom spots in Okayama...
Tottori
Tottori Castle Ruins•
The grounds of the
former Tottori Castle, also known as Kyusho Park, are
Tottori's most famous cherry blossom spot. Located along a mountain slope, the park features over 200 trees and nice views over the city. During the peak of the season, the trees are lit up by paper lanterns in the evenings.
Inaba Senbonzakura•
Senbonzakura means "a thousand cherry trees" and Inaba is the old name of the region that makes up eastern
Tottori Prefecture. The cherry trees are found in one corner of the impressive Coca Cola West Sports Park that also contains numerous sports facilities, just outside the city center. The pleasant park is a perfect place for
hanami picnics.
More cherry blossom spots in Tottori...
Hiroshima
Hiroshima Peace Park•
Hiroshima Peace Park, located in central Hiroshima City, was built to memorialize those who died during the atomic bombing and as a testament towards world peace. There are about 300 cherry trees planted around the park especially along the river.
Miyajima••
Miyajima is a small island outside of Hiroshima that is famous for its shrine and "floating" torii gate. There are about 1300 cherry trees around the shrine and along the island's
walking trails.
More cherry blossom spots in Hiroshima...
Takamatsu
Megijima Island••
Hundreds of cherry trees are planted around the mountaintop park of
Megijima's tallest peak, where the island's ogre caves are also located. The park's location affords wonderful views over the Seto Inland Sea. More trees line the street that leads from the ferry terminal up the mountain.
More cherry blossom spots in Takamatsu...
Matsuyama
Matsuyama Castle••
Hundreds of cherry trees are planted on the grounds of
Matsuyama Castle in the center of the city. The view from the castle tower over the trees and the city beyond is remarkable.
More cherry blossom spots in Matsuyama...
Fukuoka
Fukuoka Castle (Maizuru Park)•
About a thousand cherry trees are planted in Maizuru Park among the ruins of
Fukuoka Castle. The spacious park provides lots of green space for hanami parties and spectacular views from the observation platform in the former main citadel (honmaru).
More cherry blossom spots in Fukuoka...
Kumamoto
Kumamoto Castle••
Kumamoto Castle is by far the city's most popular cherry blossom spot. Nearly a thousand cherry trees are planted across the castle grounds and in the adjacent public parks.
More cherry blossom spots in Kumamoto...
Sendai
Mikamine Park•
Located south of central Sendai, Mikamine Park is a spacious public park with hundreds of large, beautiful cherry trees and wide lawns, offering plenty of space to hold cherry blossom viewing parties underneath its cherry trees.
More cherry blossom spots in Sendai...
Fukushima
Hanamiyama Park•••
Hanamiyama Park is set on the slopes of the hills southeast of central
Fukushima City. The park provides a plethora of
cherry trees with many different hues of pink. Obtain a map from the information booth which shows the walking trails and recommended picture-taking spots.
Miharu Takizakura••
Ranked among Japan's "three greatest cherry trees", the
Takizakura (lit. "waterfall cherry tree") is one of the most popular single (cherry) trees in the country, if not the most popular one. The wonderfully shaped weeping cherry tree in the hills of Miharu Town is said to be over 1000 years old.
More cherry blossom spots in Fukushima City...
Rest of Tohoku
Kitakami••
Kitakami's Tenshochi Park with a scrolling path lined by thousands of cherry trees is considered one of the
Tohoku Region's three best cherry blossom spots alongside Kakunodate and Hirosaki Castle (see below).
Kakunodate••
The city of
Kakunodate is famous for its weeping cherry trees, which decorate the city's well preserved,
former samurai district. Another few hundred cherry trees stand along the nearby river.
Hirosaki Castle•••
With its abundance of over 2500 trees, cherry blossom tunnels, petal filled moats, numerous pleasant picnic areas, rental rowing boats, many varieties of cherry trees and illuminations in the evenings, the park around
Hirosaki Castle feels like multiple great cherry blossom spots combined into a single one.
Hokkaido
Matsumae Park••
Several thousand cherry trees are planted around the reconstructed
Matsumae Castle, the only feudal
castle on
Hokkaido, and in the spacious park that extends far into the hills behind. Matsumae Park offers a wide range of cherry tree
varieties that bloom at different times, resulting in a long hanami season that lasts almost an entire month.
Goryokaku Fort••
Fort Goryokaku is a star shaped, Western style citadel which was built in
Hakodate towards the end of the
Edo Period. After the fort lost its military importance, it was eventually turned into a public park, and over one thousand cherry trees were planted along its moats, making it arguably
Hokkaido's most famous cherry blossom spot.
Maruyama Park and Hokkaido Shrine•
The park and the shrine are located just beside each other and attract some of the largest crowds for
hanami parties in Sapporo. The approach to the shrine is lined with dozens of cherry trees, while the park areas offer a lot of open space where people lay out mats and enjoy food and drink with friends under the flowers.
More cherry blossom spots in Hakodate...
More cherry blossom spots in Sapporo...
Ratings:
best of the best
best of Japan
outstanding
