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Where can we still see cherry blossom? 2019/9/24 16:00
Dear community, We are arriving in Tokyo on the 22nd of April 2020 and hoping to see cherry blossom somewhere in Japan. Is Alpine route better bet or somewhere up North? It's our first trip and we are visiting during the Golden Week, which is not ideal. For that reason, we want to go straight away to Kyoto but there is less chance to see any blossom at that time. Thank you for your suggestions:).
by veronika (guest)  

Re: Where can we still see cherry blossom? 2019/9/24 16:58
I would just look at the previous sakura reports or predictions for the dates you wanna travel. And pick you location from those.
by Hakata14 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we still see cherry blossom? 2019/9/24 21:12
The Alpine Route will have the famous Snow Wall at that time. If you want to see cherry blossoms, there should be blossoms in Tohoku at that time.
by Rabbityama rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we still see cherry blossom? 2019/9/24 21:41
Hi!

I think fear of Golden Week are overblown. While I've not been in the last 9 years because I have a child now, at least most of the Japanese I know tend to use GW to go out of the country and I don't think GW brings in any more foreign tourists than any other time of year.

Anyway, Tohoku is the place to go for cherry blossoms around the 22nd. I've looked at past sakura reports, and there is variation between Tokyo and Kyoto by upwards of a week, but places like Kakunodate and Hirosaki and Kitakami are much less variable. All of them are very popular spots and I would recommend not going on a week end but Kakunodate and Hirosaki are spectacular. If you're happy seeing late blooming varieties of cherry:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_species.html

You'd be fine just going to Kyoto though if you are happy just seeing late species. I seem to remember Kurama around Golden Week has a some lovely late blossom varieties. It's a different experience. The trees with have leaves and there aren't as many people with mats sitting under the trees, but they're still very lovely. Golden week is also azalea and wisteria season. I originally started going to Tokyo in the Fall and all the bushes surrounding the train tracks just sort of looked liked bushes. When I started going Golden Week, I found out a lot of them are actually azaleas (the others tend to be hydrangeas which are best in the Summer) One year there was a super scenic poppy field out on Odaiba near Big Sight for GW.

Good luck!
by rkold rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we still see cherry blossom? 2019/9/25 01:45
Hirosaki cherry blossom festival starts 23 April 2020-6 May 2020.

I arrived Japan this year on 22 April as well and did both Alpine route first and travelled north to Hirosaki in the middle of the cherry blossom festival so that I catch the flowers in full bloom.
by Earthgurl (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we still see cherry blossom? 2019/9/25 04:41
Ueda and Bessho Onsen would be a reasonable chance, both pretty close to Tokyo, but the sooner you got there the better.
by Lazy Pious (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Where can we still see cherry blossom? 2019/9/25 08:54
Depends on the season. North would be my usual recommendation. Probably too late for the best spots around Sendai, but Kakunodate or Kitakami are good options. Hirosaki I have found to be very good option during their festival, partly because they have 70 different types of cherry tree among the 2,600 trees in the castle park.

Heading south to Kyoto, there are some late blossom varieties but 22nd April would be late for the sites I am thinking of.
by JapanCustomTours rate this post as useful

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