Cherry Blossom Season in Japan: When and Where to See Sakura

Cherry blossom season in Japan runs for about four months from south to north, but most travellers aim for one short window: late March to early April, when the Somei-yoshino cherries flower in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. In Okinawa the blossom opens in January, and in Sapporo not until late April or early May. JNTO says each tree stays in flower for only seven to ten days, so the city you pick matters as much as the week. This guide uses the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) records to show when the blossom usually arrives in each region, what happened in 2026, and where to go once it does.

When is cherry blossom season in Japan?

The JMA watches a sample tree at each weather station and records two dates. First bloom (kaika) is the day five or six flowers open on that tree. Full bloom (mankai) is the day about 80 percent of the buds are open. Full bloom usually comes about a week after first bloom, and the trees look their best from a few days before full bloom until the petals start to fall.

Because the blossom follows the warmth, the season moves north and uphill:

• January to early February: Okinawa, where a darker pink species called hikanzakura flowers.
• Mid to late March: Kyushu, Shikoku, Hiroshima, Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto start to open.
• Late March to early April: full bloom in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Nara.
• Early to mid April: Kanazawa, Nagano, Sendai and the rest of central and northern Honshu.
• Mid to late April: Aomori and Hirosaki at the northern tip of Honshu.
• Late April to mid May: Hokkaido, from Hakodate to Sapporo and then the far north and east.

If you can only travel on fixed dates, this spread works in your favour. Arrive in Tokyo a week after the peak and you can still catch full bloom by heading north to Tohoku.

Average bloom dates by city

These are the JMA averages for 1991 to 2020, set beside the dates recorded in 2026. For Okinawa (Naha) the JMA tracks hikanzakura. Everywhere else in the table it tracks Somei-yoshino.

City	Average first bloom	Average full bloom	2026 first bloom	2026 full bloom
Naha	16 January	4 February	18 January	3 February
Fukuoka	22 March	31 March	24 March	3 April
Hiroshima	25 March	3 April	19 March	30 March
Tokyo	24 March	31 March	19 March	28 March
Nagoya	24 March	2 April	17 March	30 March
Kyoto	26 March	4 April	23 March	30 March
Osaka	27 March	4 April	26 March	3 April
Nara	28 March	4 April	24 March	31 March
Kanazawa	3 April	8 April	29 March	3 April
Sendai	8 April	13 April	31 March	4 April
Aomori	22 April	26 April	13 April	16 April
Hakodate	28 April	2 May	18 April	20 April
Sapporo	1 May	6 May	18 April	24 April

Most cities flowered earlier than average in 2026. JNTO’s forecast table rated Sapporo, Sendai, Aomori, Nagano and Nagoya as very early that year. In Sapporo the trees opened 13 days ahead of the average. The pattern of recent years points the same way, so for a trip planned around full bloom it is safer to arrive a few days before the average date than after it.

Cherry blossom season Japan 2027: how to plan

No one has dates for 2027 yet. The JMA averages above are your best starting point, and they are what most travel companies use when they price spring tours. Forecasts for the coming season usually appear early in the year and get updated every week or so until the blossom opens.

A practical approach for 2027:

1. Pick your main city and look up its average full bloom date in the table.
2. Book a trip of at least ten days that starts three or four days before that date.
3. Plan the route so you can move north if the blossom is early, or south and west if it is late.
4. Watch the JNTO forecast page from February and adjust the order of your stops.

Book flights and hotels early. Late March and early April is one of the busiest stretches of the year for Japanese domestic travel as well as for visitors, and the end of March is also the end of the Japanese school year. If you need a visa, read our Japan visa guide for Indians before you book, and leave time for processing.

Weather during sakura season

Expect cool, changeable weather. The World Meteorological Organization’s long-term averages, from JMA data, give these daily lows and highs:

City	March	April
Tokyo	5 to 14°C	10 to 19°C
Osaka	6 to 14°C	11 to 20°C
Sapporo	-2 to 5°C	3 to 12°C

Early mornings and evenings under the trees can feel cold, especially at a night light-up. Pack a warm layer and a light rain jacket. Strong wind or a day of heavy rain at full bloom can strip a lot of petals in one go, which is another reason to give yourself a few spare days.

Where to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo

Tokyo has hundreds of viewing spots. These are the ones most first-time visitors put on the list.

Chidorigafuchi

This moat on the north-west side of the Imperial Palace is lined with cherry trees that lean over the water. You can walk the path along the top or hire a rowing boat when the boat house is open. The trees are lit after dark in the main season, and the evening crowds are thick, so go early in the morning for photos.

Shinjuku Gyoen national garden

Shinjuku Gyoen is run by the Ministry of the Environment. JNTO lists about 68 cherry varieties here, from winter cherries in February to late-flowering trees in late April, so it is worth a visit even if you miss the main peak. The garden is open every day during its cherry season, 25 March to 24 April, including Mondays when it is normally closed.

Admission is ¥500 for adults, ¥250 for seniors over 65 and students aged 16 and over, and free for children aged 15 and under. Alcohol is not allowed inside. On the busiest weekends you may need a timed ticket booked in advance: in 2026 this applied on 28 and 29 March and 5 April, from 10 am to 4 pm.

Ueno Park and the Meguro River

Ueno Park is the classic place for a hanami party, with long rows of trees and families and office groups picnicking on plastic sheets. The Meguro River canal, south-west of Shibuya, has cherry trees on both banks and is busiest in the evening.

Where to see cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Osaka and Nara

Kyoto pairs blossom with temples and old streets, which is why it fills up so fast. The Philosopher’s Path is a canal-side walk of about 2 km near Ginkakuji. Maruyama Park, next to Yasaka Shrine, is known for a large weeping cherry that is lit up at night. Arashiyama in the west of the city has cherries on the hills above the river.

In Osaka, the park around Osaka Castle has thousands of cherry trees and is easy to reach by train. Nara Park mixes blossom with the free-roaming deer. A day trip south to Yoshino, on the slopes of Mount Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, adds one of Japan’s oldest blossom sites; its trees flower in stages from the lower slopes upward, so the season there runs a little later.

Later blossom in Tohoku and Hokkaido

If your dates fall in mid to late April, go north. JNTO points to three places:

• Hirosaki Castle Park, Aomori: more than 2,500 cherry trees around the castle, including the oldest known Somei-yoshino, with rowing boats and evening lights on the moat.
• Kakunodate, Akita: a samurai district whose festival ran from 15 April to 5 May in 2026, with weeping cherries over the old residence street.
• Goryokaku, Hakodate: more than 1,600 cherry trees around a star-shaped fort, best seen from Goryokaku Tower.

Southern Japan works for the opposite case. Okinawa’s January and February blossom is a good reason for a winter beach trip, and the Izu Peninsula has early-flowering trees in February.

Hanami etiquette

Hanami simply means flower viewing, and in practice it means a picnic under the trees with friends. People lay out plastic sheets in the morning to hold a spot for an evening party.

A few habits help you fit in. Do not shake or pull branches or climb the trees. Take all your rubbish away with you, since many parks have few bins. Check the rules before you bring food or drink: some gardens, like Shinjuku Gyoen, ban alcohol, and some ban sheets on the lawns. Keep music low, and do not leave a sheet unattended all day in a crowded spot.

Is it worth going in October?

Somei-yoshino trees do not flower in October. A few autumn-flowering varieties bloom thinly in October and November in some parks and gardens, but they are not a reason to plan a trip. Autumn is better for the red and gold leaves, which our guide to the best time to visit Japan covers in detail.

For a spring trip, our 7-day Japan itinerary covers Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and the Japan trip cost guide helps you budget for high-season prices.

FAQ

When is cherry blossom season in Japan in 2026?

It is over for 2026. In Tokyo the first blossom opened on 19 March and full bloom was on 28 March. Kyoto reached full bloom on 30 March, Osaka on 3 April and Sapporo on 24 April.

When is cherry blossom season in Japan in 2027?

No dates are out yet. On JMA averages, expect full bloom around 31 March in Tokyo, 4 April in Kyoto and Osaka, and 6 May in Sapporo. Recent years have often been earlier than average.

What were the 2024 cherry blossom dates in Japan?

2024 was a late year. Tokyo’s first bloom was on 29 March and full bloom on 4 April. Kyoto reached full bloom on 5 April and Osaka on 6 April.

Can you see cherry blossoms in Japan in October?

Not the main season. Only a few autumn-flowering varieties bloom then, and thinly. Plan for late March to early April, or later in April in the north.

What is the temperature in Japan during cherry blossom season?

In Tokyo, average daily lows and highs are about 5 to 14°C in March and 10 to 19°C in April. Sapporo is much colder, at about 3 to 12°C in April.

Official resources: JMA cherry first bloom dates; JMA cherry full bloom dates; JNTO cherry blossom forecast; Shinjuku Gyoen admission

Photo credits

Featured image: Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; Average bloom dates by city: Hiroaki Kaneko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Shinjuku Gyoen national garden: Carbonium / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0; Ueno Park and the Meguro River: EllieBellie25 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Where to see cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Osaka and Nara: ::::=UT=:::: / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; Where to see cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Osaka and Nara: Luka Peternel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Later blossom in Tohoku and Hokkaido: 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Hanami etiquette: Nick Richards from London, UK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.