Sakura, or cherry blossom, is somehow regarded as an unofficial national flower of Japan, a symbol of nature, beauty, and life. Because of how beautiful it is, especially when it is in full bloom, it is one of the top must-sees when visiting the country in spring time.
What are the best places to enjoy sakura?
Seeing sakura in full bloom is one of the most popular things to do among tourists visiting Japan in the spring season. No matter where you are in the country, there is always a park, a garden, or any space where a bunch of sakura trees of different varieties thrive, and where people can enjoy viewing the gorgeous natural scenery.
Some of the highly rated sakura viewing spots across Japan are enumerated below:
Hokkaido
- Fort Goryokaku – Located in Hakodate, Fort Goryokaku is a public park home to over 1,600 sakura trees. Shaped like a star, it offers lots of space where people can stroll, relax, picnic, and take photographs. It has a 107-metre high observation tower, where visitors can get a panoramic view of the scenery down below.
- Matsumae Park – A former castle town, Matsumae is where you can find the Matsumae Park, a large, pleasant park that is considered to be one of the country’s 100 best sakura viewing spots. It grows over 10,000 cherry trees of different varieties, and hosts other fun activities during cherry blossoms season, such as traditional dance and musical performances and night illuminations.
Honshu
- Hirosaki Castle Park – Best visited around late April to early May, the Hirosaki Castle Park has more than 2,500 sakura trees that transform the grounds into a spectacular wonderland during peak cherry blossom season. It hosts a sakura festival every year, from the last week of April to the first week of May.
- Shinjuku Gyoen – Found in central Tokyo, Shinjuku Gyoen boasts of over a thousand sakura trees spread across its spacious gardens and lawns. Picnics are very popular there when the sakura finally reach full bloom, which usually happens around early April.
- Philosopher’s Path – Measuring about two kilometres in length, the Philosopher’s Path in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, is one of the region’s best sakura viewing spots. It follows a canal lined with several varieties of cherry trees, and extends from the Silver Pavilion (or Ginkakuji Temple) to Nanzenji Temple.
Shikoku
- Shiudeyama – Located in Mitoyo City in Kagawa, Shiudeyama is a 352-metre tall mountain where more than 1,000 cherry trees thrive and create a mesmerizing and vibrant scenery during sakura season, with the Seto Inland Sea in the background.
Kyushu
- Kumamoto Castle – A 15th century castle sitting on top of a hill, Kumamoto Castle is one of Japan’s most spectacular and impressive castles. It consists of several buildings and a park that grows approximately 800 sakura trees.
- Omura Park – With more than 2,000 cherry trees, Omura Park in Nagasaki is a highly rated cherry blossom viewing spot in this part of the country. It is most especially stunning at night, when the sakura trees lining the pathways are illuminated.
Okinawa
- Yogi Park – About 15 minutes away on foot from Naha City’s vibrant Kokusai Street, Yogi Park is home to 400 sakura trees that line the river, and serves as the venue for the annual Naha Cherry Blossom Festival.
When is the best time to see cherry blossoms in full bloom?
If preparing an itinerary for your next trip to Japan to see some sakura, it is necessary to check cherry blossom forecasts frequently to get some ideas on what the best dates are to not miss it. Having a flexible itinerary, with a number of options when it comes to which prefectures, cities, and towns to go, is also recommended, as cherry trees in different areas of the country reach full bloom at different times.
Generally, places in the southern parts of Japan enjoy peak sakura season earlier than the rest of the country, and places in the north have it later.
For instance, Okinawa enjoys full bloom around late January; Fukuoka and Nagasaki in late March; Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo around late March to early April; Niigata and Sendai in mid April; Aomori in late April; and Sapporo in early May.
Cherry Blossoms Forecast for 2018
The table below shows the estimated start and full boom dates of sakura in some major cities across Japan this 2018.
Sources: tenki.jp, jwa.or.jp, jnto.go.jp, japanguide.com
It is advised to check the cherry blossom forecasts as often as you can, and as close to your planned travel dates as possible, as these estimated dates may change abruptly due to rain, wind, temperature, and other weather conditions.
