One of the most exciting times of the year in Japan is fast approaching — the sakura (cherry blossom) season, when people pack picnics and saké, and head to parks or gardens for hanami (flower viewing). Excitement around these fleeting blossoms ramps up every February, when the Japan Meteorological Corporation starts releasing its sakura forecasts. Updated regularly as the season approaches, these reveal when blooms will reach their peak in different parts of the country. As seasons can vary enormously across Japan, starting from the end of March all the way into May, it’s well worth paying attention to the forecasts. If you’re planning a trip, here are the best places and times to visit for sakura in 2025.
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Expected full-bloom dates for cherry blossom in Japan
The Japan Meteorological Corporation announced its latest forecast on March 21, 2025. Currently the peaks for cherry blossom are expected to be on the following dates:
• Yoshino, Nara prefecture April 9
• Himeji Castle, Hyogo prefecture April 8
• Hirosaki Castle, Aomori prefecture April 24
• Tokyo March 30
• Kyoto April 5
• Matsumae Park, Hokkaido prefecture May 5
• Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto prefecture April 3
• Miharu, Fukushima prefecture April 21
• Fuji Five Lakes, Yamanashi prefecture April 16
When is cherry blossom season in Japan?
Japan’s first cherry blooms appear in Okinawa as early as January
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Every year is different and there are variations across the country. What’s more, there are multiple varieties of cherry blossom, each coming into flower at a slightly different time and lasting for a different period (most for about two weeks). The earliest blooms tend to appear in tropical Okinawa in January, the last on the northernmost island of Hokkaido in early May. For peak pink in the main tourist spots, the end of March until early April is a good bet.
When do the cherry blossom festivals start? 
Cherry blossom season in Kyoto’s Maruyama Park
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The first festival to coincide with the country’s first blooms — the Motobu Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival in Okinawa — is normally held sometime around mid-January to early February. Most festivals take place between March and May. It’s hard to predict exactly when they might fall, but a good method is to find out when they’ve occurred in the past five years and pick an average date from those. Whenever they take place, in addition to picnics and barbecues, you might expect to find live music, food and craft stalls, and tea ceremonies beneath the trees.
What does hanami involve exactly?
Hanami is a huge social event with families, friends and colleagues — equipped with picnic boxes and blankets — gathering together under the trees to eat, drink and be merry. Popular spots will have stalls set up with snacks and drinks for purchase. In the evening, the act of viewing cherry blossoms is called yozakura, with simple lights and lanterns laced onto the branches so the flowers appear to glow in the dark.
The event gets more raucous as the moon comes up and the saké slips down. Visitors are welcome to join the celebrations. Pack a picnic blanket and swing by a supermarket to pick up a spring-themed bento box (ankake meatballs, Inari sushi, strawberries, red bean mochi) and some limited-edition, hanami-themed goodies, such as pink KitKats and Clear Asahi beer.
Where is the best place to see cherry blossom in Japan?
You’ll have no trouble finding a spot to indulge in the custom of hanami, with sakura found in locations across the country. Here are the best ones to head to.
1. Yoshino, Nara prefecture
The cherry blossom trees on Mount Yoshino come into full bloom in early April
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This is probably Japan’s most famous cherry blossom destination. The bloom of more than 30,000 sakura trees carpets the Kii Mountains that surround the town, with the season tending to start in late March. The star of the show is on Mount Yoshino — a huge cherry tree, whose branches bow towards the ground. It’s illuminated from dusk until midnight.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 April 9
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Surrounded by nature on the slopes of Mount Yoshino, Miyoshino Sakuraan is a simple guesthouse located near a gondola lift that takes you over the cherry blossoms.
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2. Himeji Castle, Hyogo prefecture
Himeji Castle with cherry blossom in April
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The white walls of the 14th-century (remodelled in the 17th century) Unesco-listed Himeji Castle provide the perfect backdrop for the 1,000 cherry trees that burst into life around it. The first blooms normally appear in late March.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 April 8
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A ten-minute walk from the sakura-lined bridge at the famous castle, the centrally located Daiwa Roynet Hotel Himeji is a smart, modern option in the city.
3. Hirosaki Castle, Aomori prefecture
Cherry blossom at the ancient Hirosaki Castle
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One of the prettiest spots for cherry blossom viewing in the country, this ancient three-storey castle is surrounded by a fortified moat and a huge tree-lined park that hosts illuminations in the evenings. Two varieties of cherry trees here mean blossoms can peak at different times. Look to visit from late April.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 April 24
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For an immersive Japanese experience, Ishiba Ryokan is a small guesthouse just around the corner from the castle, with traditional “tatami” low beds and kaiseki (multi-course dinners).
ishibaryokan.com
4. Tokyo
Cherry blossom in Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo
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There’s no shortage of cherry blossom in Tokyo. One of the most popular (and busy) spots is Ueno Park, home to more than 1,000 cherry trees, as well as museums, shrines and ponds. During the two-week season (from late March), a two-and-a-half-mile stretch is illuminated for a few hours in the evenings.
For a less crowded experience, head to the English garden in Shinjuku Gyoen, which has rolling lawns perfect for picnicking, or partake in some night-time viewing with a stroll along the banks of the Nakameguro canals. Don’t miss the magnificent flowering along the Chidorigafuchi Moat, near the Imperial Palace.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 March 30
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Facing the Imperial Palace, the Palace Hotel Tokyo is a landmark property offering classic five-star service.
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5. Kyoto
Illuminated cherry blossom in Maruyama Park
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The ancient capital of Japan is the epicentre of sakura season, with blossom appearing from the end of March to early April. Try Maruyama Park, where the main event is a tall shidarezakura (“weeping cherry tree”) illuminated at night; the Philosopher’s Path (a canal path lined with hundreds of cherry trees), or the tree-lined Kamo River promenade.
Want to beat the crowds? Make for Yamashina, in the southeast of Kyoto, where you’ll find nearly 700 trees lining the canals, and far fewer tourists. In Arashiyama district, a really unique way to see the cherry blossoms is to ride the (seasonal) Sagano scenic railway, which passes through a tunnel of sakura.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 April 5
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Chourakukan is a European-style mansion in the heart of Maruyama Park, with rooms overlooking the surrounding blossoms.
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6. Matsumae Park, Hokkaido prefecture
Matsumae Park has more than 250 types of cherry blossoms
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Matsumae Park is home to Japan’s northernmost castle and is a lovely spot for the sakura season. Its 10,000 trees include 250 varieties of cherry blossoms, which stretch long into the season from about late April. It’s especially magical at dusk when the castle is illuminated.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 May 5
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Matsumae Park is incredibly remote so your hotel options are limited. Instead, base yourself at the Hotel & Spa Century Marina Hakodate in the nearest big city of Hakodate — sea views and a rooftop onsen (hot spring) make it particularly appealing.
7. Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto prefecture
Kumamoto Castle on the island of Kyushu
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One of Japan’s most southerly islands, Kyushu is a good place to head for a less crowded and thoroughly authentic hanami fix. There’s no more spectacular setting than the grounds of its Kumamoto Castle, where hundreds of trees lead up to its hilltop gates, bursting into bloom around mid-March.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 April 3
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Koko Hotel Premier is part of the aptly named Sakura Machi shopping complex, which features a rooftop park planted with cherry trees, making it a prime hanami spot.
8. Miharu, Fukushima prefecture
Miharu’s 1,000-year-old Takizakura tree
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Stay off the beaten track and ahead of the pack by heading to Miharu, about two hours north of the capital by train. With sensational displays in April, the city’s peach, plum and cherry trees all blossom simultaneously (Miharu means “Three Springs”), and it’s the home of the astonishing 1,000-year-old Takizakura, the “waterfall cherry tree”.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 April 21
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In the nearby city of Koriyama, Dormy Inn Express Koriyama is a simple but comfortable hotel with public baths to soak in after a day’s exploring.
9. Fuji Five Lakes, Yamanashi prefecture
Picturesque scenes at Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji
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These striking lakes form an arc around the base of Mount Fuji and are a beautiful location for hanami. A popular way to experience the season is to visit an onsen and view the blooms while lolling in the warm waters. The resort town of Lake Kawaguchi is an excellent choice: arrive early in the morning to gaze up through the mist at Mount Fuji framed by glorious blossoms. Early to mid April is usually a good time to visit.
Predicted full bloom in 2025 April 16
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Lakeside Shuhoukaku Kogetsu fits the bill perfectly, offering views of both the tranquil Lake Kawaguchi and majestic Mount Fuji. Plus, it has outdoor onsen baths.
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When is the best time to book a holiday to see the cherry blossom?
Sakura season in Japan commands high prices. For the best deals, book as soon as flights go on sale, about 11 months ahead. At other times of the year, independent travel around Japan is pretty straightforward, but cherry blossom season is an exception: hotel rooms can be scarce and prices rise steeply so it is wise to book these at least ten months in advance. If you are set on visiting Kyoto, a major hub of cherry blossom viewing, consider day-tripping from Osaka: high-speed bullet trains from Shin-Osaka station reach Kyoto in less than 15 minutes, and there are lots of lower-budget hotel options.
• Best hotels in Osaka
Why is cherry blossom season so important in Japan?
Cherry blossom trees hang over a Tokyo canal
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Sakura has been the subject of nationwide adoration since the Heian period (794–1185). The short, enigmatic emergence of the blooms is seen as more than just a chance to admire some pretty petals: it is a meditation on life, death, renewal and the ephemeral nature of being. You’ll find it celebrated in Japanese literature, poetry and art, scrolled into the swords of samurai, and used as the symbol of fallen soldiers, new beginnings and friendship.
Which books and films will get me in the mood?
The 11th-century masterpiece The Tale of Genji is often referred to as the world’s first novel and references a fictional royal cherry blossom party, with poetry reading and dancing. Immerse yourself in the nature-focused works of Matsuo Basho, one of Japan’s most renowned poets and writers, with a copy of Basho: The Complete Haiku. Or try the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, in which survivors of Japan’s 2011 tsunami were interviewed shortly after the devastation as they began to rebuild their lives, just as the cherry blossom season started.
Are there any alternatives to Japan’s main cherry blossom holiday season?
A bird investigates a cherry blossom tree in Okinawa
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Plum blossoms, or ume, are the first important flowers to blossom in the spring, bursting in February and March. Hit the Mito Plum Blossom Festival in Ibaraki prefecture for mountains covered in candy-floss blooms and open-air tea ceremonies. It can be reached in just over an hour by fast train from Tokyo Ueno station.
Bookending the other side of the cherry blossom season are cascades of wisteria, often formed into tunnels. Go to Ashikaga Flower Park, about 50 miles north of Tokyo, for the Great Wisteria Festival, which runs from mid-April until some time in May, with the full purple haze occurring in early May.
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