The town of Fujiyoshida cancelled their cherry blossom festival in 2026 because of the stress it was putting on residents. Around 10,000 visitors came to the small town each day during sakura season as they could get the perfect picture of the blossoms with Mount Fuji behind it.
However officials say they often littered or trespassed on people’s properties so called time on the annual celebration. They cancelled it as they wanted to prioritise the lives of their citizens.
Where are the best places to see the sakura?
While the cherry blossoms only typically last for a week or so, the blooming period can span around five months across the country.
The first sakura typically blooms in the southern tropical Okinawa islands in January, while the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido typically sees the blossoms in early May.
In major cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, the sakura is often predicted to bloom in late March or occasionally very early April.
AloJapan.com