Japan Cherry Blossom Guide 2024
To all the sakura lovers out here wondering how to get the best out of the famed Cherry Blossoms in Japan - we’ve got you covered!
when to go
Timing the cherry blossoms perfectly is a bit of a combination of research, perseverance, and luck since the weather can shift the blossoms anywhere from a couple days early to a couple weeks late!
So how do you plan a trip to Japan way in advance in hopes of catching the Cherry Blossoms in bloom?
Our advice is to aim to catch it on the later side since catching it too early means you’ll just see a lot of barren trees. If you manage to catch it right at peak that’s a bonus - but catching it late at least means the floor will be covered in the blossoms and you’ll see them flying all over the place.
The general consensus is that the cherry blossoms start blooming around mid to late March and peak from late March to early April. The cherry blossoms are still pretty after the peak, since they start to fall on the ground and the air is filled with them.
Here are two forecasting websites we used to help us pick our dates. Both sites are being updated frequently for the 2024 bloom.
This is the latest forecast map as of February 15, 2024:
Peak Bloom Forecast: As of February 15, 2024 the forecast for full bloom in Tokyo is on April 1, 2024. But this can change as we get closer to March, so stay tuned!
The reality of the situation is that no one really knows when the blossoms are going to bloom until they start. For example in 2017, the forecasts were all predicting a late March peak bloom, but the cold weather pushed the peak bloom all the way to mid April. I knew some friends who came for a week to Japan in mid March and didn’t even see one cherry blossom! But most years, the cherry blossoms generally follow the forecasts, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
plan your visit
Get a Japan Rail Pass
The Japan Rail Pass allows you to use the JR Shinkansen Bullet trains between the cities non stop for the duration of the pass. Why use the bullet trains? Well, they’re super fast, convenient, and comfortable - way better than all other forms of transportation since you get on and off the train in the center of each city.
So how much money can you save? Here is the price chart for the Japan Rail Pass below:
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Type:
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Green
|
Standard
|
||
|
Duration
|
Adult
|
Child
|
Adult
|
Child
|
|
7-day
|
38,880 YEN
|
19,440 YEN
|
29,110 YEN
|
14,550 YEN
|
|
14-day
|
62,950 YEN
|
31,470 YEN
|
46,390 YEN
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23,190 YEN
|
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21-day
|
81,870 YEN
|
40,930 YEN
|
59,350 YEN
|
29,670 YEN
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If you were to pay for a round trip Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto it would cost you 26,160 yen. Also, a round trip on the Narita Express from the airport to Tokyo is around 6,000 yen. Just doing those two trips (around 32,000 yen) - buying a Japan Rail Pass (29,110 yen) would have saved you money. If you add in Osaka to the route, you’re definitely saving money.
What are the differences between Green and Standard tickets?
The Green tickets are essentially for the “VIP” section of the train - which is quieter and gives you more leg room. But since Japan is normally a very reserved culture, the standard section is pretty darn quiet as well. One caveat for the green tickets are that all green seats are reserved in advance, giving you less flexibility to just hop on a train vs the standard tickets.
For a more detailed guide, check out our Japan Rail Pass page.
Book your rooms early
With revenge travel in swing, I’d recommend booking your hotel/airbnb at least 3-4 months before your trip since hotels start filling up very quickly. For example, in Kyoto a month out from our trip, it was showing that 94% of the city was completely booked!
It’s cold
No one told us that it was going to be so cold, wet, and windy during the Cherry Blossom season!
Make sure to pack:
When we were there from March to April the temperatures ranged from 45F to 70F with strong wind gusts. It wasn’t until the last few days in mid April that it started to get a bit warmer during the day.
Where to see the cherry blossoms
TOKYO
Chidorigafuchi Moat
The moat surrounding the Imperial Palace is covered in gigantic cherry blossom trees - with many reaching over on top of the edges of the moat. One of the most unforgettable things you can do is rent a paddle boat and get super close to all the petals! Get there early before they open or you’ll have to face ultra long lines.
Shinjuku Goen
This 144 acre park has over 1,500 cherry trees with over dozen varieties of Sakura. Since there is an entrance fee it is less crowded than public parks that are often covered in blue tarps and loud, inebriated locals. More on that later!
Yoyogi Park
If you’re looking for a sakura party - here is where you’ll find it. Locals love to get here early to lay out gigantic blue plastic tarps to save spots for the upcoming party in the park. As the day wears on, you’ll see large groups of Japanese drinking, eating, and having a merry time! It’s definitely a sight to behold, but don’t try to get your Insta-worthy shot here because the blue tarps sorta ruin it.
Sumida Park
A bit of a subdued park and less popular with the Sakura crowd - there are still around 1000 cherry trees here. If you get here early in the morning, you’ll almost have the whole place to yourself.
Meguro River
For an unforgettable memory - the Meguro River is lined with over 800 sakura trees. Both day and night are beautiful. During the day the sun shines through the blossoms and at night they are illuminated with lights and surrounded by hanami parties.
kyoto
Takase River
Right along the Takase River on Kiyamachi street - there are wonderful cherry blossoms trees with picturesque viewpoints at the crossing points on the street. At night, they are illuminated, making for a wonderful experience too.
Philosopher’s Path
Lined with numerous cherry blossom trees, this stone path is a popular spot in spring when the sakura are in full bloom. The Philosopher's walk, also known as the Philosopher's Path, is about 2 kilometers long and provides beautiful photo backgrounds for every season, but especially during the sakura bloom.
photo by Studio Zero
Ninnaji Temple
If you’re in Kyoto in mid April, then the Ninnaji Temple is a great place to visit since it has many Omuro cherry trees which tend to bloom later than the others. There are hundreds of them on the temple grounds, making for a beautiful experience. Ninnaji temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the head temple of the Omuro Shingo Buddhism sect.
Some other cherry blossom highlights include Maruyama Park, Kyoto Gyoen National Garden, and Kiyomizudera.
OSAKA
Osaka Castle
There are over 4000 cherry trees sprinkled about on the Osaka castle grounds. Some of the best shots are from across the moat though.
Yodogawa Riverside Park
A short train ride from the city center of Osaka - this beautiful park boasts a riverside bank lined with hundreds of cherry trees, most of them being the popular Somei Yoshino type.
Kema Sakuranomiya Park
With over 5000 cherry trees lining the Okawa River - you’ll be in sakura heaven here with the seemingly endless rows of cherry trees.
Expo 70 Park
This former 1970 World Exhibition site was turned into a public park with over 5000 cherry trees. You can easily get there from Umeda and Namba via the Osaka Monorail getting off at Banpaku-kinen-koen Station.
HIMEJI
An additional location with a jaw dropping combination of beautiful architecture and cherry blossoms is the UNESCO Himeji Castle. It’s also called the Hakuro-jo or Shirasagi-jo (“White Egret Castle” or “White Heron Castle”) for its white exterior and appearance of a bird taking flight. You can reach the Himeji Castle with the Shinkansen train from Osaka (40 mins) or Kyoto (55 mins) using your Japan Rail Pass.
Can’t make it to to Japan and live in the USA? You should check out the Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC which are very beautiful as well!
