When is the cherry blossom season in Japan?
As the spring is slowly approaching Japan is preparing for the annual cherry blossom season, Sakura. According to the data released by meteorologists cherry trees are estimated to bloom starting from March 21st until 26th of April, although if you are heading to Japan specifically for the cherry blossom season make sure you follow the weather forecast updates. The blooming can be affected by the temperature, rain as well as wind.
The cherry blossom season in Japan is a must-see event and is really popular among tourists as well as locals, so do not miss it and charge your camera to catch the perfect moment. In some areas, the cherry trees do not fully bloom and this is mostly affected by the weather, this year the cherry blossom season will start earlier due to the weather changes.
We recommend the following places for the best cherry blossom experience – Sapporo – Moerenuma Park, Hakodate- Goryokaku Tower and Fort Goryokaku, Furano- Asahigaoka Park, Otaru- Mt. Tengu and Asahikawa Park in Asahikawa.
2020 cherry blossom blooming forecast
As the cherry tree blossoming is highly affected by the weather we recommend following the cherry blossom forecast. The first cherry trees are expected to bloom in Tokyo and Fukuoka on March 22nd followed by Nagoya on March 24th, Kyoto and Osaka on March 25th. Usually, the season ends during the first week of April, although due to climate changes this year it is expected to last until the beginning of May.
Keep in mind that some areas reach the full bloom in about a week, so we recommend arriving at the chosen area a few days after the announced blooming date.
The forecast predictions start between January and February and are usually updated weekly, you can follow the Sakura news as well as learn some interesting facts on the previous blooming seasons. In addition to the cherry blossom blooming forecast we suggest following the weather forecasts as well, this year the weather has been much warmer than the previous, hence the blooming season might start even sooner than predicted. The ideal conditions for a long-lasting blooming season are cool, dry and windless weather which will allow the flowers to bloom longer.
Best spots to see the cherry blossoms in Japan
Once you have chosen the dates when you would like to visit Japan you can easily follow the cherry blossom forecast to choose the perfect place to enjoy Sakura in full bloom.
For those who are travelling in March we suggest visiting:
Tokyo Shinjuku Gyoen the park is open for business longer during the cherry blossom season, it is home to more than 20 000 trees 1500 of them are cherry trees.
Fukuoka Nishi Park visitors can enjoy the panoramic views of the Fukuoka city as well as enjoy hanami as the park has more than 1300 cherry trees.
If you are traveling at the beginning of April head to:
Aomori Hirosaki Castle public park where the temples will be surrounded by almost 2500 beautifully blooming cherry trees.
Fukushima Miharu Takizakura located in Miharu is a single 12 m tall cherry tree believed to be over 1000 years old and is admired by thousands of visitors every year.
Nagano Takato Castle park in the city of Nagano is home for 1500 trees. The park hosts a cherry blossom festival every year.
Yamanashi Chureito Pagoda has the best view of Mount Fuji and Fujiyoshida, offering visitors the most picturesque experience.
