Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo and Kyoto

Hi,

May I know when is the good period to plan for Cherry Blossoms full bloom viewing in Tokyo and Kyoto?

If I travel to Tokyo first then followed by Kyoto, what is the best back to back dates that I should plan?

Thanks,
Han Seng

I'm in Kyoto and this year started here early last week.

The peak date of cherry blossoms comes later in Kyoto than in Tokyo. But actual dates differ year by year. If you can stay more than three weeks in Japan, you could arrange the dates. If shorter, you need to pray for luck.

Peak date of cherry blossoms by JMA:
year Tokyo Kyoto
---------------------
2021 3/22 3/26
2020 3/22 3/30
2019 3/27 4/ 6
2018 3/24 3/28
2017 4/ 2 4/ 7
2016 3/31 4/ 2
2015 3/29 4/ 1
2014 3/30 4/ 2
2013 3/22 3/30
2012 4/ 6 4/ 9
2011 4/ 6 4/ 7
https://www.data.jma.go.jp/sakura/data/sakura004_07.html
https://www.data.jma.go.jp/sakura/data/sakura004_06.html

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_de_floraison_des_cerisiers#Dates

Hi Luisjp,

Thanks for the information.

Is it true that the flowers will remain full bloom for about 7 days after it reached Peak before petals starts to fall?

Thanks,
Han Seng

It could be if cold weather comes back and lasts for a week. It also could be it only lasts a few hours if the full bloom comes with warm southern winds. My thought is that just one day or less with a blue sky. The following is of this year's situations:

I II III IV
------------------------------------
Tokyo 3/20 3/27 4/1 -
Kyoto 3/27 3/29 - -

I: 0+ % The start of blooming. A few blossoms on brown branches. Not a beautiful sight.
II: 100- % The peak of blooming. Just beautiful.
III: 120 % Sakura Brizard. Cheerful, being surrounded with petals, but a rare event. Rains could drop petals instead of winds.
IV: 0- % Green leaves start to dominate. Not a beauty anymore.

https://weathernews.jp/s/topics/202201/310085/

Mother Nature follows her own schedule, and sometimes throws in a few curve balls. It is hard to predict accurate times until a month before the start. That makes it hard for people booking airline tickets and hotels. But the more flexible you are, the better your chances will be.

I would also argue that opening as well as past peak can also be really attractive and enjoyable. The first day the sakura officially open tends to be sort of ehhh but it's not like the trees go from just one or two blossoms to suddenly peak. I've also found that just a little past peak can be really lovely. I am 90% sure when I went to Hirosaki it was a little past peak and I loved all the petals in the moat and there were still plenty of flowers on the trees. I haven't gone sakura chasing since '09 because I now travel based on school vacations, but there is some flexibility because there are different varieties of sakura.

I was actually in Fukuoka the same day as the sakura report here on Japan Guide in March 2009. It was rated as 50-80% and not full bloom, but it was honestly full bloom enough and gorgeous to me! I was in Tokyo for the Shinjuku Gyoen and Ueno park a few days later, and while it was still the start, it was still really fun and festive, plus I got to see some momo as well.

Good luck!

Agree with all, but would comment that if you get there too early for sakura, you can have plum blossoms at their peak which are very pretty too.

For the OP, please note that the forecasts refer to one specific type of cherry and there are more than 600 types in Japan. For me, the core cherry blossom season is around six weeks and a place like Shinjuku National Gardens has blossom from mid-March to late April.
Also, somewhere like Tokyo, because it is very large, places can be in full bloom in one part of the city, but other places could be up to a week different. And that is not counting early or late types - especially useful for somewhere like Kyoto that has some impressive groves of trees that bloom outside the core dates.